


Family Reunion

by greenfairy13



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure, Doctor Who 50th Anniversary, Drama, F/M, Family, Family Drama, Fluff, Gen, Humor, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-21
Updated: 2014-09-08
Packaged: 2018-01-13 07:51:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 42,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1218331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greenfairy13/pseuds/greenfairy13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two boys arrive aboard the TARDIS and turn the Eleventh Doctor's and River's life upsidedown. Their mother is Rose Tyler but the real surprise is the father. Once again the universe is about to collapse but it gets hard to focus with all the blanter...an Eleven/Rose story but definitely not fluffy (at least not the start). No River bashing, I like her (but not as the wife).</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Mommy!" a high pitched voice cried out on top of it's lungs causing the Doctor to jump out of his bed so hastily he almost knocked out River who had cuddled up next to him. His desperately needed sleep cycle had only lasted 2 hours and 14 minutes. At least 1 more hour would have been great before the trouble to start.

 

River reached instinctively for her laser blaster and the Doctor shot her a disapproving glance, “No weapons. How often do I have to tell you this?! No weapons aboard the Tardis! In fact no weapons anywhere”

 

“Where is my Mommy?” the voice yelled out once again and the Doctor froze on spot. No doubt, something or someone was aboard the Tardis. Nothing could get aboard the Tardis. Whole military fleets had tried and failed and now, judged by the sound of that voice, a little boy was screaming for his mother in his Tardis.

 

The Doctor and River stared at each other, “Something is inside your ship,” River pointed out the obvious.

 

“I know. How exciting! Last time this happened I almost got slapped by an infuriated bride and meet a giant spider afterwards. Suppose we have to say goodbye to boredom,” The Doctor rubbed his hands in anticipation, shooting River a wide grin.

 

“Be careful, sweety,” River reminded him and they both burst out in laughter while storming towards the console room. Despite the Doctor's antipathy for weapons River had her laser blaster hidden under her grey leather jacket, just in case.

 

Inside the console room stood two boys. The little one was about seven or eight years old and crying desperately for his mother. He had ruffled blonde hair and was dressed in a brown and white striped shirt, bright jeans and yellow leather trainers. The other boy was in his middle twenties and extraordinary thin with likewise ruffled but brown hair, big frightened honey coloured eyes, prominent cheek bones and gorgeous lips. A really handsome lad despite the fact that he was obviously in need of one or two proper meals. He wore tight dark blue jeans, a plain white shirt and a short brown trench coat.

 

The little boy was clung around the older boys legs, holding him in a tight grip and yelling frantically, “where is Mommy! I wanna go back to Mommy! Where are we! I want to go back to Mommy!”

 

The older lad looked completely overstrained by the situation, tears shimmering in his eyes he only repeated “I don't know,” like a broken record. When River and the Doctor entered their expression turned from frightened to to about to freak out.

 

The Doctor pulled out his sonic and made a quick scan which caused the younger one to scream out again, “He's making the evil noise! Evil noise!”

 

That moment the elder boy decided to react. The stormed astonishingly quickly towards the Doctor, knocked him over, grabbed the sonic and pointed it at the Doctor and River, “I'm warning you only once! One false move and I swear I'll use it! One move and I'll shoot!”

 

River and the Doctor decided to play along and hold out their hands in submission, “It's not a weapon, boy. Look, we are both unarmed, we just want to know how you two get aboard our ship,” the Doctor said in his calmest, most reassuring voice.

 

“Of course it's a weapon! I have seen this thing before and I know what it can cause. It's one of the deadliest weapons in the universe so don't even try!” the boy shoot back infuriated.

 

“Right, weapon...then try and shoot. This thing is a screwdriver, has some extra settings but at it's core it has been designed to put up cupboards.” The Doctor tried to explain.

 

“Cupboards?! Are you kidding? We just want to leave, nice and quiet,” the older boy pushed the younger one towards the exit, still pointing the sonic screwdriver at the Doctor and River.

 

“Ty be careful. That thing is nasty, it hurt mummy. He hurt mummy with it all the time,” the little boy said sobbing.

 

The older boy, now known as Ty, pushed the TARDIS' door open and looked outside, swallowing heavily, “we are in space,” he declared.

 

“Course you are in space. You are aboard the TARDIS. Any idea how you two got here? And please put down my screwdriver before you accidentally recalibrate my ship,” the Doctor told him, still calm and wondering what this was all about.

 

“We are _where_?!” Ty gasped out in surprise.

 

“Aboard the TARDIS. Stands for times and relative...”

 

“...dimension in space,” Ty finished the sentence with wide open horrified eyes, “Oh, good God, of all places, not here, no,no,no.”

 

The little boy pulled at Ty's trousers and demanded still sobbing, “Ty, where are we? Where is mummy? Can we go back to mummy? What did he do to our mummy? I want my mummy.”

 

Ty turned to his brother and padding his head he told him to calm down and to stay put behind him.

 

Ty swallowed and looked at the exterior of the TARDIS' door, reading out loud “police public call box.” He turned towards the Doctor and stated, “It's blue. It's a blue box, right?”

 

Looking back in confusion the Doctor answered only, “Yes”, and paused, “fancy telling me who you two are?”

 

“My name is Ty and this is my brother Jamie. We should not be here. We should be in London,” he stammered out.

 

“Well, Ty and Jamie. Nice to meet you!” The Doctor answered gleefully, “any idea how you made it up here?”

 

Ty swallowed, desperately trying to hold his tears back he answered, “I don't know how we got here. Our mother managed that.”

 

The situation was just about to relax when Jamie cried out, “Ty, she has a weapon!”

 

Ty grabbed his little brother's hand and shouted “run” while rushing into the ship with the Doctor and River at their heels. The two boys stormed into the TARDIS' bedroom wing and Jamie yelled out, “door!” while storming inside the room.

 

Both disappeared inside and smashed the door shut behind them. The Doctor jolted in vain at the door knob and to his utter surprise the TARDIS would not allow him to enter the room. She even hummed disapprovingly and gave him a little electric shock which caused him to curse nastily in Gallifreyan.

 

“Sweety, since when is the Tardis not at your side?” River asked frowning.

 

“How often do I have to tell you no weapons?! If they hadn't seen your damn laser blaster we would already know what's going on here and I have no idea why the TARDIS is acting against me, she just prepared a room and deadlocked it!”

 

The Doctor reached out telepathically for his ship to gain some information but Sexy decided only to hum angrily. “Fine, fine! More than thousand years travelling around with you, one could think you'd be loyal. But no, two complete strangers earn your friendship in a couple of minutes. And you where the one complaining on strays!” the Time Lord hissed at his ship and kicked against the wall.

 

“Maybe the TARDIS wants us to try this patiently?” River suggested and a very upset Doctor nodded in compliance while massaging his foot.

 

River knocked softly at the door and shouted, “Boys? Ty? Jamie? I assume you can hear me. We don't want to harm you. Listen,my name is Professor River Song and the mad Professor with the bow tie is called the Doctor. We are just travellers and you are aboard _our_ ship. You can't really blame me for carrying a gun. In fact you two came storming in, messing up our lazy Sunday.”

 

The Doctor and River waited for a reaction but could only hear Jamie's sobs through the closed door. After what felt like an eternity they heard steps approaching and Ty spoke, “I'll come out, okay? But my brother stays back inside and I'll use your weapon if I have to. Is that clear? I want to see your hands empty and up in the air when I open that door.”

 

“Right Ty, hands in the air. No harm done, you made it perfectly clear,” the Doctor answered slightly annoyed by his “guest”.

 

Hesitantly, Ty opened the door and glanced out cautiously, pointing the sonic screwdriver at River and the Doctor as if it was indeed a weapon. He first turned towards River, pulled the laser blaster from her holster and stomped on it. The weapon creaked and he kicked it away.

 

“I don't like weapons,” he stated, “but I know how to use them if I have to. And there is no way you gonna hurt my brother.” Ty was shaking slightly but his voice was firm and his facial expression made it clear that there was no way he would anyone allow to enter the room behind him.

 

“Perfect! I don't like weapons either. Unfortunately my wife over there does not share my pacifist attitudes,” the Doctor answered with an enthused grin while River rolled her eyes and hissed, “Hippie.”

 

Ty swallowed and shoot the Doctor a confused glance, “wife?” he asked disbelievingly.

 

“Yes, wife. Married me. Well, not really married. Was in a robot and the universe was about to end, again. So we decided to marry. Was nice though, her parents where there and we where threatened with execution - but not by her parents. Her parents are lovely, my best mates! Never mind. Long story. Where was I? Right! Who are you and how did you get aboard the TARDIS?” The Doctor babbled in return.

 

The corner's of River's mouth twitched in annoyance at the Doctor's explanation but she decided to stay silent until the situation was about to calm down a bit.

 

Ty nodded pensively before he faced the Doctor, “Sorry...just never imagined you to be married. So this is the TARDIS? And you are the Doctor? And this is your wife/friend/companion or whatever?”

 

The Doctor nodded enthusiastically each time. Ty stared at the sonic screwdriver in his hands before his still suspicious eyes snapped back to the Doctor, “If you are really the Doctor, the real Doctor, then I can point that sonic here at you and push this button, right? No harm will be done?”

 

Without waiting for the Doctor to answer the boy pointed the sonic screwdriver at a spot above the Doctor's head and pushed down the button. Nothing happened and Ty sighed in relief, “Indeed, just a screwdriver.”

 

“Excellent! Brilliant! Now, that we have sorted that sonic thing between us out can I have it back? I don't want you to do that inside the console room,” The Doctor demanded and a defeated Ty handed over the sonic screwdriver to his legitimate possessor.

 

River and the Doctor put finally their hands down and Ty leaned against the door, slowly sliding down to the floor until he sat on the ground. He buried his face in his hands and started crying silently.

 

The Doctor sat down next to him and tugged Ty's arm gently, “Time to tell me what's wrong, I suppose. No matter what happened, I'm an expert at setting things right. Proved myself various times and I can assure you, I'm the best.”

 

River chuckled, “Oh sweety, your are so full of yourself!”

 

“Well, I have the right to be!” he answered smiling self-confidently and adjusting his bow tie for no obvious reason.

 

Ty shook his head, “I wouldn't be so sure if I was you.”

 

The Doctor frowned, “Penny for your thoughts? Let's start easily. How did you get here? And how do you know what a TARDIS is?”

 

“I don't know how we got here. My mother sent us here. She would never abandon us, or leave us behind – unless she had to. She promised and she did everything to keep her promise. But things got worse and worse and she told me...” his voice broke and he breathed in heavily before continuing, “ she told me the safest place in the universe is a little blue box. A public police call box and inside is the Doctor with his companion. She told me she would send us there if...”

 

“If what?” the Doctor asked sympathetically.

 

“If she had not other choice,” Ty whispered softly enough to make sure his brother would not hear him.

 

Ty stood up abruptly and entered the room behind him while wiping the tears from his face and adjusting a fake smile, “Jamie!” he squeaked out, “remember when mummy told us you and me would go on a holiday? That's now! Mummy made a great surprise, didn't she?”

 

Jamie was still sobbing but stopped immediately and looked up at his elder brother in confusion. Before he could say a word Ty was at his brother's side and embraced him, “We'll meet mommy's best friends! Captain Jack! And Mickey! Remember all the wonderful stories about Captain Jack and uncle Mickey?” Jamie nodded hesitantly and Ty babbled on, “But before we see Mickey and the Captain you'll have to sleep! You don't want to be tired when we meet famous Jack? Don't you?”

 

Jamie opened his mouth, “But mummy, he hurt mummy. I saw it. We have to get back to mummy!” the little boy declared.

 

“No,no,he would never hurt mummy. They just have a nice little chat and everything will be all right again, okay?” Ty answered too happily.

 

“That's not true!” Jamie shouted out in protest, “he put that collar around mummy's neck and then he made the evil noise and she wouldn't stop screaming.”

 

Ty stared for an instant at his brother before he grabbed his temples and pressed his forehead against his. Holding his gaze he said, “Mummy is fine. We are on holiday and about to meet uncle Mickey and Jack. Mummy is not hurt, she just has to talk to him. That's all. And you will be a good boy and sleep. Sleep now!”

 

To the Doctor's and River's surprise Jamie collapsed instantly and fell into a deep sleep. Ty put him gently on a sofa and covered him carefully with his jacket.

 

“That...that...what you just did. How did you do that?” the Doctor spit out appalled. “Who the hell are you? Why are you here? Tell me!”, he demanded impatiently.

 

Ty turned slowly towards the Time Lord and answered steadily, “We are here because our mother said she would always make sure that me and my brother would be safe. To me, the safest place had always been at her side,”Ty sighed and ruffled his hair, “Being here, in the TARDIS, means that our mother is dead.”

 

The Doctor nodded silently before he said,”Time to tell me who your mother is, I reckon.”

 

Ty looked up at the Doctor and shrugged his shoulders wearily, “Our mother is the Bad Wolf. I suppose you might know her better under the name of Rose Tyler.”

 

The boy's words literally kicked the air out of the Time Lord's body and not for the first time in his long live the Doctor was glad that his respiratory bypass kicked in – right now, he had forgotten how to breathe. He turned white as a sheet and had to steady himself at the TARDIS' wall. His legs had lost their will to carry his weight while his mind was racing like a roller coaster, leaving him unable to put up even a single coherent thought.

 

He opened and closed his mouth several times before he picked the most ridiculous of all questions running through his brain, “Your mother called you Ty Tyler?!”

 

Ty stared disbelievingly at him and scratched his neck, “Ehm...no,no, she did not call me Ty Tyler. It's a nickname. Actually it's Tony Tyler.”

 

The Doctor wrapped his arms tightly around himself and said only, “Oh,” before he went completely silent.


	2. Chapter 2

The universe was not exactly kind with Professor River Song: abducted by the Silence after her birth, shot by her own mother at the age of eleven, taken back to her parents when they where still children themselves and forced to kill the man she was supposed to fall in love with.

 

No, the universe was anything but fair and right now it kicked her shattered soul once again. River's and the Doctor's life were entwined come hell or high water. When River had met the Doctor for the first time in her life he had known everything about her and she had known absolutely nothing. But since her first encounter with him tables had turned: she learned more and more about him while he forget her bit by bit as she always met younger versions of the Time Lord.

 

Right now their lives where in sync and for a short period she was not forced to shout “spoilers” all the time and he trusted her. Rare and precious moments they were but about to end. River loved the Doctor in any possible way and her feelings had ever been sincere but he did not feel the same way about her. Fate had forced those two people upon each other and while she thanked fortune silently for doing so, he fought and struggled and tried to gain back control. It had always been her to initiate intimacy and he sometimes would give in but merely because he had to, not because he wanted to.

 

She knew that he trusted her and liked her and that they where a bit more than just friends but he did not love her. Yes of course, he would die for her but he would probably die for _anyone_. Driven by his endless guilt concerning the loss of Gallifrey he desperately tried to save every living being, every planet and of course the universe day after day. What River really wanted, was a life with him and she knew that would never happen.

 

Rose Tyler's sons. From all people in the multiverse these boys had to be Rose Tyler's sons. The sons of the one woman the Doctor could not forget or stop loving. The one woman that was sacred to him. One night,he had told River the story of Rose Tyler and he had hated to do it. The Doctor could hardly say her name out loud. Nevertheless, the Doctor told River about Rose, once again not out of his own free will, but because he remembered River's knowledge upon Donna's memory loss at the library planet.

 

River's heart broke when she saw the Doctor's expression at the mention of Rose's name and death. She looked at him and for the first time she did not saw an ageless God but a man who had lived for more than a thousand years. The Doctor looked tired and defeated and she could sense the growing rage under his calm surface and there was something in his eyes: a hatred towards whatever or whoever had hurt that woman, Rose Tyler, far bigger than the rage she had witnessed at Demon's run. A hatred,that she was sure of, would soon tear down the walls of this universe.

 

River Song hat always lived in fear of the day when the Doctor would be unable to remember her name but when the boy had mentioned the name of Rose Tyler she knew that her fate was even worse: he would soon enough forget about her while still remembering her name.

 

“Sweety,” she said softly to the Doctor, “I'll make a cup of tea, you and Ty should have a talk in private I suppose.” Tugging his shoulder to wake him from the stasis he had fallen in she left him and the boy alone. The Doctor did not even notice her leaving.

 

The Doctor took a deep breath and steadying his shaking legs he spoke to Ty, “You said your mother is Rose Tyler? And your name is Tony Tyler?”

 

“Jep,” the boy answered, popping the “p” more than necessary.

 

“Ha! Hoax! I knew it! You should be more careful upon the details when trying to fool me. Because I know for certain that Jackie Tyler had a son and she called him Tony. I can't imagine that my Rose would call her own child Tony too,” the Doctor shot back infuriated.

 

The boy gave him a stare as if the Time Lord had lost his mind, “You do know how old Jackie was when she and Pete were reunited? Over fifty. Human women hardly ever give birth to a child in that age.”

 

“Are you trying to tell me that Jackie is your grandmother? Impossible! Rose would have never... She told me herself! Tony Tyler is Jackie's son!”

 

Ty barked out in unhumorous laughter, “No,indeed. My mother had only ever eyes for _you_. Gave birth to me and despite the fact that I wasn't even three days old she run off, left me with my granny and started tinkering with her damn dimension canon.”

 

“Liar!” the Doctor hissed, “she told me herself that Tony Tyler is Jackie's son. And even if not, Tony Tylercouldn't be here because Rose Tyler and here family are sealed off. Forever. I a different universe and the walls of all universes are closed!”

 

Tony stared agape at the Doctor before he burst out in laughter, holding his stomach he answered, “I think I should doubt _you_. Suppose my mother proved well enough that different universes don't stop her in any way.”

 

“Right,” the Time Lord said adjusting his hair, “Let's assume for just one second that you are indeed Rose Tyler's son. Then who in all universes would be your father? Mickey?”

 

“Blimey, mom said you'd be a genius but you just don't get, don't you? You do know how reproduction works? Do I even look a tiny bit like Mickey?” Tony asked grinning mischievously.

 

The Time Lord stared at the ridiculously thin boy with his ruffled dark brown hair and those honey coloured eyes. _Her_ eyes. Eyes he thought he would never see again. In fact, the boy looked like a perfect mixture of Rose Tyler and his previous self. The Doctors mouth was wide open and he pointed his finger first at the boy and then at himself, “But that's impossible,” he blurted out.

 

Ty shot him a quizzical look, “Why is it impossible? Did you and my mother never...you know?”

 

Rose Tyler's son had never before seen a man's face turn into such a bright pink colour as when the Doctor shouted out, “It's impossible because I've checked her hormone level before we did it! You just can't be my son!”

 

At that point Ty proved that he was for certain a Tyler: he smacked the Doctor's face exactly like Jackie used to do it, “You stupid alien git! I have two hearts! I can I actually see time! And I am twenty-six years old and my mother died today and sent me and my seven year old brother off to another universe to a complete stranger! I can hardly care for myself and now I have to care for my little brother! Plus, deal with a man my mother described as some kind of flawless super hero! You are nothing but an idiot! A rude idiot who left us behind without ever looking back!”

 

The Doctor swallowed and answered softly, “I did not knew. She never told me that we have a child.”

 

“Why would she?! You said good bye and told her that she would never be able to see you again. You did not even try to come back while she built a dimension canon! Should she have told you that you have a son? She came back for you! She travelled dimensions for over thirty years and when she found you, you left her again! You left _us_ with that Psycho! At least you brought her back to me when I was still a kid.” Ty yelled at the Doctor shaking from rage.

 

 

 

 

“Hold on! Hold on! Thirty years?! Psycho?!” The Doctor interrupted.

 

“Yes, the Psycho! Jamie's father, this insane replica of yours! And before you ask: my mother does not age. She was the Bad Wolf and she burnt like the sun before he erased her light forever!”

 

Ty's rage hurt the Doctor almost on a physical level. The boy had impressive telepathic abilities and his emotions spiralled through the Doctor's head as if they were his own adding even more pressure upon him.

 

If not for Ty's rage the Time Lord would have been paralysed by his own pain. Rose Tyler was a sting in his heart, he mourned her loss as he mourned the loss of Gallifrey: in secret, alone and eaten up by guilt.

 

He neither talked or thought about her if he could evade it. Losing her for the second time to the parallel world had even been worse then for the first time. She had not been taken from him but he had literally pushed her into another man's arms and turned away from her. His brilliant,amazing, impossible Rose. She had found her way back to him and he had walked away and told her to take care of the meta-crisis.

 

The Time Lord's reason for doing so had been anything but glorious; he had abandoned her out of selfishness and fear. He had almost been insane from love and the mere thought that he would once be forced to watch her die caused him to panic and to do what he was an certified expert at: to run.

 

No, he did not only run from her but he put the walls of an entire universe between him and her to be sure he would not even accidentally notice when she ever died.

 

The Doctor had put his Rose into a parallel world and told himself she would be safe and happy there so he could picture her forever as a young and beautiful woman. Never ageing. Never dying. Never fading. Never lost. Never. Never. Never. And forever. Always with him, the other him on that godforsaken beach but happy. Rose Tyler,having a fantastic life.

 

When Donna's mind almost burnt from the meta-crisis, he had started to doubt but he had hold on to the thought or her living in serendipity. Now, he had to learn the painful truth.

 

Ty stared at the Doctor in disappointment. The Time Lord, his father, was nothing like he had expected him to be. Ty had expected Superman, someone who would knew exactly what to do. Someone who would recognise his son immediately. Someone, who would flip a lever and rush off to save his mother.

 

In fact Ty had always hoped for his mysterious father to show up and save his mother from her misery and to end the war. Ty could hardly recall one day of his short life without being at war with the Angels, the Sontarans or the Daleks.

 

The monsters had always been there, ever since the cracks in the walls of the universe had started to appear. Big threatening cracks that would erase anyone who got to close from time itself; but he could remember these people anyway because Tony Tyler was a Time Lord;maybe even more than that.

 

The Doctor gained slowly back his countenance and adjusting his bow-tie for the what felt like the sixty-fifth time he faced the lad,“Ty, I have to know what happened,”he told him solemnly.

 

“Why?” Tony snapped back, “There is nothing you can do, the walls are sealed and she's gone. If you want to help, take me to Mickey. He is my godfather.”

 

“Well...I could do that. But Rose did not sent you to Mickey. She sent you aboard the TARDIS what means she still trusts me. Why else would she put her children into my custody?,” the Doctor grinned brightly at Tony and added, “besides, Tony Tyler,there is another reason for you to stay here.”

 

“That would be?”

 

“I am your father,Tony. And as much as that thought scares the hell out of me and you I'm not going to leave you when I've just found you,” the Doctor stepped closer to Tony and putting his hands on his son's shoulders (his son!) and looking into the boy's eyes (her eyes! they had _exactly_ the same colour as his mother's) he promised, “If there is the faintest, slightest hope Rose Tyler is still alive then I promise I'll find her. I'll find her and I'll never,ever leave her again and _nothing_ will stop me. Even if I have to rip the walls of this universe apart. I promise! Would you now show me what happened, please?”

 

Tony nodded hesitantly before he initiated the mental link with the Doctor to share his memories with him:

…............................................................................................................................................................

One hour 47 minutes 54 seconds earlier...

 

Ty, Jamie and their mother Rose had now been imprisoned for weeks. He would leave the boys alone but every once in a while he forced Ty to watch how he tortured his mother while Jamie might stay in his room.

 

Ty observed horrified how he adjusted a collar made of a mat pitch black stone around his mother's neck, causing her to loose her consciousness. He placed his fingers at her temples and leaned his forehead against hers. Ty tried desperately to reason with him, convince him to let her go but nevertheless he entered her mind.

 

Tap,tap,tap,tap. Tap,tap,tap,tap. Tap,tap,tap,tap. Tap,tap,tap,tap. The sound grew louder and louder and louder and louder until Rose Tyler's eyes snapped open and screaming from pain she gained back her consciousness.

 

“Can you hear it, darling?” he snarled, moving his head away from her and releasing her temples. “You've been a bad, bad girl,” he chuckled, hatred burning in his eyes. “They are asking the question. Over and over again. They are coming back and you won't stop them,” he paused and stared mercilessly at her abused body. Does it hurt,my love? I can see it in your eyes, love. It hurts you. Hurts so much,” he said grinning viciously down upon her. “You know, I don't want to hurt you. I can think of so many better things to do with you,” he stated, the lust obvious in his eyes and Rose tried unsuccessfully to gain back some space. “Answer the question, Rose. Just answer the question,” he told her, now softly and patiently, “Just tell me what I need to know and the pain will stop.”

 

“No,” she answered in return.

 

“No? Darling, “no” is not the right answer. Answer the question and I might let _his_ son go,” he hissed rancorously.

 

Facing him, she said once more “no”.

 

“Hmm... stubborn as ever, my Rose Tyler, aren't you? What am I going to do about that, darling?” he stroked her face almost lovingly before smashing her head brutally against the wall. Bouncing on his hells he mocked with a sing-song voice, “Doctor Who! Doc-tor Who! Doctor Who! Who? Rooose! Who? Who am I?””

 

“You are _nothing_!” Rose bawled, spitting out blood.

 

“Quite right,too” he answered bursting out in insane laughter. “Guards! Guaaaaaards! Bring me the boy! Bring my son too!” he ordered his minions. “Now,my dearest love, you will witness your eldest son's death. Jamie will watch it. He'll watch and learn,” he stated grinning manically. “Last time to change your mind? No?” he asked turning his back at her to watch his servants drag along a struggling,kicking Ty and a frightened Jamie.

 

“You can't! He is also _your_ son!” Rose yelled out in horror.

 

“No, he is not! He is _his_ son. _His_!” he screamed outraged and kicked her stomach.”Come on, one last chance,” he offered pointing his screwdriver at her. When he pushed the button the collar around her neck light up and she could not help yelling in agony.

 

He stopped his torture to face Ty and Jamie. Rose lifted her head and staring at her sons her mouth formed silently the words “I am sorry”. The world around Ty and Jamie went black and when they opened their eyes again they where aboard the TARDIS...

…............................................................................................................................................................

Tony and the Doctor crashed simultaneously back into reality. The Doctor looked up,meeting River Song's ice-cold stare. Her expression was unreadable, her mouth twitched slightly and her whole body was tensed, “Welcome back,sweety,” she said mirthlessly, “whom are you never gonna leave again?”

 


	3. Chapter 3

"Yes,River Song. Glad to know you remember," she said quietly.

The Doctor frowned in confusion, "Of course I remember. I always remember. Ready to save another universe?" "You might bring your weapons this time," he added grinning flirtatiously.

Ty cleared his throat, "Doctor, you just said in front of your wife that you'd rip the walls of the universe apart to save my mother."

"Right,said so. Maybe we try a less drastic approach first," he considered.

"Wife!" Ty hissed annoyed. Could his own father really be that daft and incapable of relationships? He hoped silently that this feature wasn't part of his genetic heritage but then he was so hilarious, sort of clumsy and distracted him from thinking about the horrified look on his mother's face. Would he forever be haunted by her wide open, sorrowful, apologetic eyes?

The Doctor's eyes light up in comprehension and he gasped out, "You're jealous!"Right now, he had completely forgotten that River was not just his companion and friend but his wife.

River's eyes narrowed and the Time Lord was quite happy Ty had taken the laser blaster from her.

She flinched and met the Doctor's eyes, "What did you expect me to do at the miraculous return of Rose Tyler? The woman you have turned yourself into a human for? The boy mentions her name and you are seriously considering to threaten the sake of the entire universe? This is not just about me and you but so much more."

River was right, the Doctor's first impulse had been to storm into Pete's world (however he would do that) and get Rose back to safety. And to his own but secret shame he felt a desperate urge to throw the men he tortured her into a black hole. Several times,in fact. Or maybe trap him in the void? Hand him over to the Cybermen? He digressed as he pondered several very creative ways of torture.

He was definitely not himself right now and under shock. Rose about to die (or maybe dead, but he pushed that thought far away) and he had just become a father. A _father_! Again! And so far he had not exactly proven to be a talented parent. His hearts clenched when his mind wandered back to Jenny and further to Susan and to...stop! Why the hell had she sent her children to him?!

"Right," he stated flipping his hair back ,smiling and cupping River's face gently, " _T_ _his_ is not about you and me,River. This is about me and the mistakes I made. I think, I owe Rose reparation. I have unleashed something upon the other universe that has to be stopped," he muttered,looking at the floor. "River, Rose was my friend but she belongs to my past and the misery she is in, is my fault. I can't just stand aside."

Snorting she answered, "Your past?! _Friend_? You dare telling me that she is your past with her son standing next to me? The son you have with her?" River shook her head and her gorgeous hair brushed his skin. She could see it in his eyes, he was so very far away from her,oblivious towards her emotions.

The Doctor almost exploded and punching his fist into the TARDIS' wall he yelled out, "Don't you see? I DID THIS! I have to set it right! I just have to. Somewhere in this parallel world is an insane monster. A monster I have created is torturing my son's mother. My Rose!What do you expect me to do? Tell me! Go on!"

A dark laughter escaped River's throat, "Ah, the oncoming storm. But beware what you might become, sweetie. This storm might rip you away and the universe alike."

Calming down but with a fierce stare he retorted silently, "Maybe this universe is not worth saving if it only ever burns the ones I love?"

Ty watched the strange couple in silent wonder, he could sense the women's troubled emotions: anger, disappointment, fear, sorrow, grief and above all a deep,pure love. For this man, this man who was his father. Ty had never been able to imagine him but whenever he tried to, he had thought about him as a generous, gentle and controlled creature. Not someone who would be swept away by rage. Tony was scared by that man.

"You are the same man. The same Dark Lord of Time," Tony whispered threatened and backed up.

The Doctor spun around, "What do you mean?"

"My mother,Rose, she loved the man you left us with. Jamie...I never understood why she would have a son with him. I still don't understand. You made so many decisions for us, decisions you may have never made. He bends the universe to his own will and the people around him and the rage. The rage in your eyes and his eyes is the same," Ty turned towards River and asked with pleading eyes, "Why? Why did _you_ fall for him?"

River Song stared at the lost, desperate boy and sympathy flooded her. It wasn't his fault that he was Rose Tyler's son and she could not help but pity him. In fact, he was not that different from her, his childhood must have been equally messed up as her own and she embraced him in a tight hug.

"Oh poor, sweet boy", River sighed, "Whatever you might think right now, it is wrong. The Doctor is terrifying. But he is wonderful, he guards the entire universe. He is ancient and selfless and full of love and the rage,the burning fire you sense, he tames it. Every day. The man who hurt you and your mother is nothing but the Doctor, okay? Trust him,Tony."

The Doctor squeezed River's hand gently in gratitude and she decided that she would talk to him later when he wasn't an emotional mess and without Tony standing next to her.

The Time Lord in return misinterpreted her gesture entirely and jumping into action he exclaimed, "Wonderful! So we are all fine and okay? Kings and queen of okay, in fact! Off we go! Everyone ready to move? We have a universe to save and a mother to reunite with her children. Geronimo!"

"Where are we going?" Ty demanded.

"Torchwood and then UNIT. The dimension canon had been dismantled after Rose's return and the parts had been split up. Indeed,we're going to meet Mickey Mouse and Captain Cheesecake and find a way to cross dimensions!"

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"Bad,bad Wolf," he grinned joyless. "Sent away my little boy and her son. Where did they go? Into the dark woods?"

"Doctor," Rose whispered in despair, "Doctor,please. Please remember you are a good man. It's still inside you. What have you become? Who are you now?"

He bent down to Rose Tyler. She was lying on the marble floor, slipping in and out of consciousness,breathing heavily. Golden sparkles would light up now and then in her eyes but whenever her eyes started to glow entirely he would point his sonic screwdriver at her, causing her to scream in pain.

"I am not the Doctor,my love. The Doctor has left you on the beach. Do you really think he'll look after them? Wherever he goes, danger follows and he'll leave them behind. Just like you. You want to know who I am? Well,that's the problem,isn't it? I am not a human. Nor a Time Lord. I am not the Doctor but who else? As long as he lives, I'll only ever be a copy," he told her softly, padding her head. He pulled a handkerchief from his trousers and wiped the blood from her face. Rose flinched from his touch. "All my memories, are his. I have barely lived but I remember so much, Rose and I can't endure it any longer. He took everything away from me and left me with you. Here. And I love you, I really do but we never really fell in love,we just remember,don't we?" he paused and kissed her forehead gently. "Do you know how this silence in my head feels like? Separated from the TARDIS, from her endless song? I am not human enough,Rose, I need a mental connection and now, I can hear them again. They are coming back. They keep repeating the question. You,my love,know the answer when I can't remember. Just answer the question. Tell me, tell me my name. Who am I? Doctor who?"

Rose started crying, "We were happy. We have two children,we had a wonderful life, we had each other. Why wasn't it enough for you?"

"I had the entire universe at my feet. How could this tiny, insignificant human life ever be enough for me?" he asked her pensively.

Suddenly,he jumped up and bounced around the room,grinning manically, "Rose! Let's go on a trip. There's a place I want to show you. Hop,hop! Up on your feet."

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The Doctor managed for once a spot on landing in the Torchwood hub. Descending the TARDIS and flipping his hair back in his well known anxious manner he greeted Captain Jack Harkness.

"Doc, for once! Try the front door. You can't just materialize inside my office. What if I've a day off and Owen just shoots you? Besides, I've spilled my coffee all over my desk."Jack pouted.

"How do you know it's me? Got a new face, don't think we've seen each other since the reality bomb happened?"

"The TARDIS kinda gave it away." Jack burst out in laughter and embraced the Doctor tightly. He hold him a bit too long and added, "Still a handsome incarnation."

"Oi! Jack,stop it," he told him.

"Never. Besides,I've got a list of aliens I still need to shag. So far a big empty spot next to "Time Lords" he teased flirtatiously.

River opened the TARDIS' door and stepping out with a wide grin she answered,"Gonna stay empty, that one's my husband and I'm not eager to share," holding out a hand she said, "Professor River Song."

"Captain Jack Harkness,at your service, beautiful," he replied but his smile and his flirty attitude faded. Giving the Doctor a serious stare he asked,"Doc,not that I'm not happy for you but still,where's my little girl? What happened to my Rosie?"

The Doctor tried to answer but Jamie interrupted him. The little boy came running out the TARDIS,crying excitedly "Uncle Jack",followed by Ty

Ty rolled his eyes, "Jamie,that's not how we introduce. It's the first time you meet the Captain,you can't just run towards him."

"Why not? Mummy said he's her best friend!" the little one replied while he examined the Captain thoughtful. "You're funny, I have never seen such a gigantic time stream," Jamie stated staring at the Captain in awe.

Jack gave the child his widest smile and bent down,"Nice to meet you,Jamie. I'm Captain Jack Harkness but I don't think we've already met. Mind telling me who your mother is?"

Looking up at the Captain Jamie shouted in excitement, "Mummy is the Baaaaad Wolf!"

"Yeah? And where's your Mummy now?" Jack asked gleeful.

"Mummy is locked up. He never allows her to go outside," Jamie replied shrugging.

The Captain's face fell and he turned towards the Doctor, " Got something to tell me,Doc?"

"Uhm,yeah,probably...weeeell, Jack,let me introduce you to the Tylers: Jamie and Tony,but he prefers Ty.

Jack stared at the two boys in curiosity, "Rose Tyler's sons. I thought Tony was her brother?"

Ty spoke,"Nope,that was a lie she told that spaceman over there," he said nodding at the Doctor.

"Oi,Ty,bit of respect please," the Time Lord answered offended.

"Right. Respect. Why?" Ty shot back.

Jack did not need as much time as the Doctor to realise the truth, "You're the Doctor's son! But I still wanna know what happened to Rose, never considered her to be one who'd fancy a threesome." Grinning towards River he added, "But I've an open mind,gorgeous."

"Jack!" The Doctor hissed, "not the right time, I need to talk to you."

Both men went to another office,leaving River and the Tyler boys behind as anyone had agreed to keep Jamie out.

"Jack,I need the dimension canon," the Doctor told him outright. Jack did not reply so the Doctor decided to share a bit more information and told him how he had left Rose behind with the meta-crisis.

The Captain's expression was unreadable, "Okay, according to you Rose is supposed to live happily ever after with your human incarnation. What went wrong? Why are her sons here and Rose not?"

"Ah,well,the meta-crisis was dangerous as you remember. Rose couldn't temper him. She sent her sons to me to keep them safe but he still holds her hostage."

Jack became very quiet as he sat down,clenching his fists until his knuckles where almost white as snow.

"Jack?" The Doctor asked frowning.

"Shut up. Just shut up. Right now I'm really suppressing the urge to shoot ya. The girl who came crashing through the walls of the universe got left behind by you together with a dangerous psychopath who wears your face? After all she went through you just left her? What the hell is wrong with you?! And now you're married?! You've got nerve! Why didn't you just tell her? Or isn't there the slightest bit of a spine in that alien body of yours? Anyone else just splits up but you handed her over to a maniac?!" The Captain was now yelling on top of his lungs, his whole body shaking from rage.

"That was not my intention! I thought she could make him better. It broke my heart to give her up!" the Doctor replied and he only evaded getting slapped for the second time this day because Mickey and Martha Jones decided the very moment to enter the Torchwood hub.

"Doctor! Thank God you're already there. We've been afraid finding you would take us months," Mickey exclaimed relieved.

"Cracks appear and disappear in walls all over the world. Mickey and me wanted to investigate but when Mickey got to close a warning showed up "Bad Wolf". Saved him from getting erased from time," Martha continued.

"Where's Rose? Need to thank her for keeping my butt safe," Mickey stated grinning, "and then we'll have to do something about them cracks!"

Once again the Doctor had to explain the inglorious story of how he had left Rose behind and he had to admit: the atmosphere had become pretty hostile,well actually more than hostile. His friends looked as if they would love to see him regenerate at least a dozen times. Jack and Mickey where both outraged and Martha was utterly stunned. She only stared in disbelief and the Doctor could almost physically feel the moment she inwardly thanked herself for having left him in time.

Mickey was the first to break the silence, "I never thought you'd be such an ass,Doc. You know, I was with Rose when she got trapped in the parallel universe and I knew that Tony is your son. So when the little Time Lord was born, we were all a bit overstrained and Rose almost died. Luckily,Bad Wolf kicked in and turned her into something new. From that moment on, she could see time and she told me she'd find you but you'd leave her. Babbled something about established time lines. I told her you never would. What bloke lets the girl down who tears down the walls of the universe? To shorten this: she has a message for you. Like an emergency protocol for the very case right now."

Rummaging through his pockets, Mickey pulled out a pink and golden letter and handed it over to the Doctor who read the message out loud:

_Dear Doctor,_

_I don't know how to start. One day you'll read this letter and if I have not failed, my sons will be with you and I hope you'll keep them safe and care for them together with their Godparents Mickey and Jack. Please,Doctor,do that for me. I'm begging you...sorry I'm trailing off but to be honest: I have never been more scared._

_Tony was born today,my first son and I died. I did not almost die but I died. The human Rose Tyler has ceased to exist. She has been replaced by the Wolf and once more I looked into time itself and once more all I found was you._

_I saw you at the library planet and I saw River Song dying for you. Now,River Song is a fixed point in your future and time,once in flux, has settled and made me inevitably your past. It is scary to know your future because now I know that I'll find you but I also know that we have to be separated again for the sake of the universe (how pathetic,isn't it?). Any ways: there is something you have forgotten and you have to remember again because it happens now and simultaneously in your past: when I'll find you, you are going to regenerate again and this regeneration will be your twelfth life. Prophesy has it,that this one will be special and I somehow sense that my future is entwined with whatever is about to happen._

_Please,all I want you to do is take care of my sons but stay away from me! Fixed points in time will be altered if you intervene,fixed points that threaten my children's and your fate. So I'm begging you:stay away. Keep your hands off the events._

_I love you,_

_Rose_

Inside the envelope was another letter addressed to her children which the Doctor left undamaged.

Jack cleared his throat, "What does that supposed to mean? Special regeneration?"

The Doctor turned white as a sheet, trembling heavily and unable to hold back his tears as his memories unlocked he answered, "It means I've done something unforgivable. There was a prophesy telling me that between my twelfth and final regeneration something new would be born, an amalgam of my dark side. A living being who is me but...evil. A nemesis if you want. The Valeyard."

"Great," Martha moaned sarcastically, "Good to know that your endless effort of saving the universe has completely turned upside-down."

"Hold on Doc,this is only your eleventh life?" Jack asked.

"I wish it was, there is a regeneration I never talk about and the meta-crisis has used up an entire regeneration as well. Makes me in fact number thirteen. The next one sends me over the edge."

Grabbing his coat and checking his gun Jack stood up, "She might have told _you_ to stay back but not me. And if that essence of waste can encounter you in this very universe, so can I. Still got a Vortex Manipulator,remember? Mickey, Martha, I'll get my Rosie back and then I'll beat that glorious Time Lord here to pulp. Are you coming with me?"

"Jack! Wait, you can't. The Valeyard has to meet my former selves,these events may not be altered." The Doctor cried desperately.

"So you want us to wait?! Doing nothing!?" Mickey shouted infuriated.

The Doctor nodded his head, "Rose has to deal with me alone."


	4. Chapter 4

Finally it was Martha who made him snap. They were all just staring at each other, not believing he just really recommended to do nothing.

"All the time I was travelling with you, you where a grieving mess. Even disguised as a human you painted her face in your diary and now you want to do nothing?!"

When the Time Lord stared at her with almost pitch black,burning eyes she knew she should have better kept her tongue. He was terrifying. Martha had never before recognised how intimidating the Doctor really was. His voice was so soft when he spoke but full of rage.

"What do you want me to do,Martha Jones? Do you want me to tear down the walls of the universe? I could do that. I could tear them apart and get her back at my side where she belongs. It's _easy_. It really is. Do you want me to sacrifice billions for my love? For _one_ woman? I could take her and escape in the TARDIS. You silly little human. I protect this world every day and I lose everything doing so. Look at you,staring at me accusingly. You have no right. No right. You, with your comfy little live and a mortgage and a job."

The Doctor left with Jack's part of the dimension canon and walked back towards the TARDIS. His college professor clothes looked more than ever like a disguise. A costume carefully chosen to hide a god beneath. He stared at the console and asked his ship silently what to do. The Valeyard was worse than the Master,more powerful, more intelligent, more cunning. The Valeyard was him in any possible way with one exception: he was not the oncoming storm but a tornado and if he'd rip Rose away? How would he ever be able to forgive himself?

"Why are we here?" that was Ty's voice.

The Doctor jumped in surprise and turned round, "Oh, I thought I was alone."

"I did not feel like making new friends today," Ty answered, "so I went back into your spaceship, where else should I go?" Ty said with a slight bitterness, "what are we doing here?"

"I told you,getting the dimension canon." The Doctor explained matter of factly.

Ty frowned, "Yeah, but the walls are sealed. You told me the canon would only work if the walls are weak. They are not. I asked to TARDIS to check that."

"Yes but the walls were also sealed when Rose came back to me. Only when I met her the walls would weaken, short before the Daleks decided to enable the reality bomb. But when she made her first jump, inter-dimensional travelling should have been impossible. She made it any ways. But not me. And I tried. Trust me, I tried every day for years to reach her." The Doctor whispered while resting his head against the cool metal of the console.

"So how did she do it? How does the canon work?"

"I don't know. I don't like not knowing."

Silence fell between the two men but this silence was more than the Doctor ever bargained for. Finally he felt the presence of another Time Lord, another one who saw and felt this world like he did. An equally powerful being had found him eventually more than four hundred years after the Time War. Too bad he had already managed to screw his son's live up. Did he hate him? Despise him?

"I think you should leave it. Mummy would not have given us up or sent us away if there had been another chance. Time is different in your universe. Some things have already happened and others will happen soon. Mum could see the time lines of any universe. I suppose she knows pretty well what will happen."

"Why do you want to believe that she is dead?!" The Doctor burst out, he could not understand why Ty was so insistent upon her death.

"It would be worse if she'd still be alive," Ty answered numbly.

"How could that be better!" The Doctor shot back.

"The dark Lord, the meta-crisis is you. You should know best why being dead would be better for her," Ty paused and stepping closer and looking deep into the Doctor's eyes he said, "You have to find her. If she's still alive you have to find a way to her. You have to. The things he does to her...sometimes I could see glimpses of her thoughts," Ty was unable to finish the sentence.

"What did he do?"

"Do you already know the name he gave himself? Do you remember?"

"Yes,he calls himself the Valeyard."

"And what did the Valeyard want?"

"My lives. My previous and future regenerations. He did not succeed."

"She did intervene at the end. You did not notice, did you?The Bad Wolf has more power and more life than you. Compared to my mother we are like insects. I always feel so small next to her. And he has found a way to chain her and he makes her weak. Not that I understand but she loves him so much, she said he would be you. He is your dark side and she loves even this side of yours. Though,she could always stop him, stopped him from taking your lives. But she could not stop him from hurting her." Ty had tears in his eyes, "I think he wants her power and that must never ever happen."

The Doctor looked at Ty. He felt an immense longing. A longing to be united with his son, with Rose and Jamie. Here they where: right at his fingertips a complete family of his own waiting to be claimed as his. Didn't he deserve happiness after all the decisions he had made? After all the sacrifices to keep the universe going? The countless losses?

With a warm and loving smile the Doctor decided it was enough, he was a Time Lord and for once this selfish,egoistic universe was offering him a chance. He decided it was now his turn to become a bit egocentric. If the dimension canon would not work he would use the forbidden gateway between the universes, a black hole. Despite the fact that travelling like this was dangerous, he would maybe have to sacrifice a hopefully uninhabited planet. He feared to admit to himself that he actually did not really care.

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"I've messed up,Rose," the Valeyard whispered desperately. He held her in his arms and while stroking her face lovingly he placed soft kisses on her temple. "I regret it sometimes,the fact that I'm unable to be a human. It was so nice at the beginning,having you and the children and a straight life. It was enough,no more than enough. It used to be everything I've ever dreamt of."

Rose felt the pain ease away. He had loosened her collar and it was the first time for days she could open her eyes without getting nauseous immediately. He had calmed down and a slight glimpse of sanity was visible on his face as he was not filled with that dreadful manic energy.

"What happened?" she asked weakly while entwining her fingers with his like they used to. She was surprised how good and right it still felt to be in his arms, so close and how beautiful his face still was. The wish to make him better, to give him peace and love was still vivid. Rose still wanted him. She would want him forever and it made her feel ashamed how weak his presence made her.

"This world happened. I sacrificed Gallifrey and the Time Lords, the Racnoss and countless other species to keep Earth safe. I stood between Earth and every species, protecting humanity and now, I see they are not worth it. They have never been worth the sacrifices I made. Humans are cannibals. Since I came here they are at war with each other. Either for some non existent god or for crude materials. It does not matter,in fact. Gallifrey is gone, my TARDIS is in a different universe and I've forgotten my real name and I age,Rose. I'm running out of time and I'm the weak copy of a real Time Lord. I only want back what should be mine. Look at you and what I can do to you. The Bad Wolf chained to me despite I'm human," he laughed bitterly, "We'll be equal again soon, look!"

Rose took the place he had taken her to in. It was the by far bleakest planet she had ever seen: it was nothing more than a grey rock drifting through time and space, the planet did not seem to have a fixed point in the universe but was jumping back and forth in time.

"The planet of the weeping angels!" he explained proudly, "I've found it finally,despite the fact I could only use a Vortex Manipulator."

The Valeyard was now again entirely filled with manic energy, "The angels feast on the energy of the potential, they consume what could be in the future. Aren't they gorgeous? They can swallow entire time lines. These creatures can really rewrite time," he stated while bouncing up and down.

"They'll kill you. There is no way you can make them obey you,"Rose told him angrily while she struggled to get up on her feet.

"I don't want them to obey me," he grinned, "I want their ability to quantum lock other beings and swallow time. You've swallowed time,dear. Was great,wasn't it? You could have done anything, could have changed the universe in any way but you only ended the time war. How dull is that?! I'll create a better universe, the way I want it to be and I'll rule it. I'll be the one true Time Lord with the Bad Wolf at my side as my little puppy."

"I wont allow that," Rose told him firmly.

"You don't have anything to say about that," he replied joyful, "besides, the angels will allow me to cross the borders between the universes. A parallel dimension develops whenever time takes a different turn,only the fixed points stay but if I restart time from it's beginning it will be up to me to decide what is fixed and what not. I can quantum lock whatever displeases me. But first things first: I have to track down the time line that made this specific universe in which you and me are trapped in possible and reverse it."

"If you do that, this universe will have never existed. Every living being will fade!" Rose yelled out in horror.

"Yep," he exclaimed while popping the "p" with pleasure, "and you and me will be back in our universe and your precious Doctor will be replaced by me. At the end, there will only one universe be left, _my_ universe. The perfect universe!"

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The next stop would be New York and the UNIT headquarters to get the second piece of the dimension canon. Despite the gravity of the situation he was not willing to put Ty or Jamie in danger by travelling through a black hole. Neither was he willing to leave them back with Mickey the idiot and Jack the creepy time anomaly. Not after he had just found them. They where _his_ sons and he would not leave them behind. Never. Plus he would give them their mother back. He had promised Ty to do it and he had no intention to break that promise.

His own sons, the sensation was overwhelming, amazing. His sons. There where no words in the universe in no language to describe how he felt. It had been once more his precious pink and golden flower who had given him that incredible present. His sons. Rose's sons. His wonderful Rose. She had made him feel happy and whole and loving again after the time war and what had he done? Dragged her into the hands of an insane monster making them both suffer. At least it would make things very easy when he would have made his way into the parallel world. His meta-crisis would not get any second chances or a choice.

Mickey and Jack where anything else but happy. Both insisted on being the chosen godparents and where unwilling to leave the boys in the TARDIS,knowing that travelling with the Doctor only ever meant trouble. The Doctor cursed inwardly but gave in, inviting Mickey to join him. At least Martha was not coming, pouting after his outburst and luckily Jack could not leave as Torchwood needed him; a bunch of outraged Wheevils made Cardiff a dangerous place to be.

River stepped up to him before he could enter the TARDIS and blocked his way. The whole day was a complete mess for her as the Time Lord acted as if she was invisible. She felt like choking but luckily someone had sent her a message to come to New York as well, but at a different time. She was still an archaeologist and her time schedule was as busy as the Doctor's.

"What's wrong River?" he asked impatiently.

"I've gotten a message, Sweetie," she answered slowly.

"Great. Whatever it is, can we deal later with it?" he replied annoyed.

"I'm afraid no, this is really important."

He froze, was she kidding him? "You mean more important than Ty and Jamie? Are you serious, River? Because right now I could need you at my side."

"The boys are fine," River hissed, "what do you want to do any ways? Blow a hole into the universe to look for their mother? She sent them here because she wanted them to be safe and not on some desperate mission to find her."

"I am definitely not planning to blow up the universe" he announced offended, "Rose, my son's mother is at the mercy of a dangerous psychopath. I am not going to wait for better times to come."

"But she wanted you not to intervene. Do you ever listen! She wants you to stay back!" River shouted.

"River! I HAVE TWO SONS! And they will NOT grow up without their mother. Have I been clear upon that?"

River shook her head. That was worse than demon's run and he was totally oblivious to the time lines. She put her hand on his shoulder and looking into his eyes she plead, "Doctor, I know that they are your sons but you know yourself that this is wrong. Please, you have the boys...they have to be enough."

"Are you jealous,River?" he asked with a deep, threatening snarl.

"Damn it! Of course I'm jealous but that is not the point! The point is that you are acting like a wannabe super hero git and somewhere in that big smart Time Lord brain of yours you even know that!" she shouted back infuriated.

"Fine, I take it you're not coming,then?" and with that he opened the TARDIS' door and smashed it shut behind him.

River sighed. There was no way to reason with him right now. Not if he was that stubborn and insistent. At least River knew quite a match for a rebellious Time Lord. Entering some coordinates into her Vortex Manipulator she disappeared smirking.

Finally, the Doctor,Ty,Jamie and Mickey arrived in New York. Mickey the idiot was fortunately a patient and loving godparent and Jamie had a licking in uncle Mickey right from the start. The Doctor was not eager to take the little boy to UNIT so he decided to leave Jamie with Mickey in the TARDIS while he and Ty would get the dimension canon.

The Doctor and Ty had barely gone half a mile when they heard a high pitched voice with a Scottish accent, "Rory! I've found him! Come here! I can see the Doctor!"

Amy and Rory came running towards the Doctor and before he could introduce his son to her he felt Amy' hard slap upon his face. "What the hell do you think you are doing?!" she yelled at him but before she could slap him for a second time Ty grabbed her hand and pushed her gently away while stepping in front his father.

"Oi,girl! If anyone is allowed to slap him it's me or my mother." Ty told her firmly.

The Doctor blushed slightly, feeling embarrassed at being defended by his son and a bit proud at the same time. He could not help the foolish grin spreading across his face. His son had stood up for him. That was brilliant!

"Amy Pond and Rory the Roman! What are you doing here?" the Doctor asked rubbing his face rather curious than angry.

"River brought us here. She told me you had found another Time Lord and you two would blow a hole in the universe!" Amy answered a bit over excited.

"And you just believed that, Amelia Pond?" the Doctor frowned.

"It's not the first time you do something incredibly dangerous,"she shot back.

He flipped his hair back and adjusted his bow tie before he introduced his son proudly, "Amelia Pond, Rory Williams: meet my eldest son Tony Tyler! We won't blow up anything,we are just trying to find a way to get his mother back."

Once again the Time Lord had been oblivious to one very important fact: Amy and Rory where in fact his parents in law. He should have foreseen that their reaction would not exactly be enthusiastic. Amy's jaw fell open and she had to steady herself against Rory. For once, the loud, bossy, cheeky red head was at the loss for words so Rory spoke first, "You have a son? How for gods sake did that happen?!"

"Rory the Roman, I am one hundred percent sure you know how reproduction works. In fact I have two sons. Jamie is inside the TARDIS, waiting for us," the Doctor explained with a satisfied smile.

Amy had meanwhile regained her voice, "I assume River, _my daughter_ , is not the mother,right?"

Ty had in the meantime figured out how unpleasant this situation was about to become so he answered quickly before his father had a chance to open his mouth, "He did not knew about me before today. We have just met,really!"

Amy's face was as red as her hair when she shouted on top of her lungs, "How many times exactly are you married?! How many women have you seduced, you,you,you...bastard!"

Rory hugged his wife tightly and whispered into her ear, "Amy,love,breathe! Calm down. I think that might be a bit more complicated. Don't forget, he's 1300 years old."

Pouting and crossing her arms Amy expected him to explain the situation so he sat down with her on a bench in central park. Ty, who felt more and more drained by his father's friends decided to go and get himself a cup of coffee. Rory joined him and they started their way across the street.

The Doctor had just started explaining his and Rose's story when he found a book lying next to him. Looking at the cover and the main character's name "Melody Melone" he had a bad foreboding. That nasty little feeling increased when he opened the book and read out a random line, "The two skinny men walked across the street and disappeared in time."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: "New York" by Frank Sinatra
> 
> Please leave a comment after reading! Thank you!

" _These little town blues_  
They have all melted away  
I am gonna make a brand new start of it  
Right there in old New York

_And you bet [Incomprehensible] baby_  
 _If I can make it there_  
 _You know, I'm gonna make it just about anywhere_  
 _Come on, come through_  
 _New York, New York, New York"_

The Valeyard came rushing in, singing Frank Sinatra's most famous song on top of his lungs and if he hadn't been grinning like a loon Rose could have almost thought he looked adorable. But his eyes gave him away: they were dark and full of manic energy when he swept her up and swung her around with him. Still she couldn't help herself giving in a bit and smiling as the memories of the London blitz came back. More than ever she wished her Northern Doctor with his piercing blue eyes to return.

She sighed. Her Doctor was gone and had left her to the anomaly in front of her who had lost his mind and sanity. Despite all her efforts to make him better, sooth him or comfort him she had failed miserably. Rose was as unable to make him better as she was unable to put an end to his actions. He was everything she had left and she could not stop loving him for the tiny bit of Doctor that was still buried somewhere deep down in his twisted soul. Even in his darkest actions, even now as he was planning to destroy every universe except for one he wanted to create himself and bend to his own will there was something good about it. He still wanted to save everyone somehow, admitted, by killing everyone else who did not fit into his concept, but still...

"Roooooooose," he exclaimed, an unhealthy fire burning in his eyes, "it's sometimes so _obvious_."

"What is obvious?" she asked shaken from her reverie.

"The Zeppelins," he replied gesturing wildly at the London skyline, "it's all connected to the Zeppelins! Remember when I told you that a parallel universe develops because time takes a different turn? This very universe originated because in this dimension the "Hindenburg" never exploded. The air ship landed safely on the 6th of May in 1937 in Lakehurst, New Jersey. Nobody died and Zeppelins are still popular."

Rose bit her lip, "You want to blow up the "Hindenburg"? Go back to 1937 and blow it up? Kill all these people?"

"Nah! That wouldn't work. It's not the disaster that matters but a scientist who died in the original universe. His name was Peter Sculasson, totally unknown to anyone in the original universe but he was the man that made the Zeppelins safe. Stopped them from blowing up! BOOM!"The Valeyard explained while bouncing up and down on his heels and making an explosion gesture with his hands. "In 1934 Sculasson invented the perfect outer hull for air ships, brilliant men,really! But in the parallel world he died in 1933 during his stay at the Winter Quay Hotel in New York. Well, I say he died but in fact no one knows what happened to him. It's like he vanished from time."

Rose did not reply. Right now there was nothing she could do to stop him; the collar around her neck had been forged from the heart of a no-time star. A star that would exist likewise in time and space as outside outside time and space. The thing made it unable for her to see time lines and it slowly but steadily drained her life energy. By now she had been wearing the collar for seven months and using an enormous amount of energy to send her children to another universe had almost killed her. Rose calculated that she had maybe a week left (if not less) before her body would betray her and die. She hoped she could spare her powers for the very last moment to prevent his actions but she was not sure whether she would succeed. By now she was so weak it was almost impossible for her to stand upright. Besides,his constant torture shortened her life span too. At least he had not succeeded in making her obey him or using her powers for his own purposes. After all, he was only able to drain her life energy without making any use of it.

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Ty and Rory went along the street in an awkward silence, focused only on the big coffee house, trying not to look at each other.

A couple minutes later Ty was seated on park bench, having a macchiato with caramel syrup and whipped cream in one hand and a bag with five different sorts of doughnuts in his other hand getting carried away in tasting each flavour thoroughly.

"Blimey, you must really be his son. The Doctor also has to taste everything that is way too sweet," Rory noticed while staring wide eyed at the boy.

Ty shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, "You want some? The ones with cinnamon and vanilla are pretty good. Taste all different in this universe...but good different."

Scratching his nose Rory asked curiously, "What do you mean? This universe? Are you from another universe?"

"Yes, I am. I don't think there is a way back home for me and Jamie..." Sighing sadly Ty put the doughnut back in the paper back, he had lost his appetite.

"Well,you just have met the Doctor...I'm sure he'll find a way," Rory said trying to sound confident while he did not understand at all what again was going on here.

Ty only shook his head, "My mum is expert at travelling across dimensions."

Before Rory could stop himself he asked in mere curiosity, "So you have a mother actually. A real mother?"

Nearly spilling his coffee all over his shirt Ty looked up with an utterly puzzled and hurt expression, "Of course I have a mother. Her name is Rose. She was a wonderful mum. Kept me and my brother away from all the dangers, all the Daleks and the Angels despite the war in our world. The war was just a tale for us." Looking at a water fountain decorated with stone angels he added, "I was so mad at her yesterday, we had an argument and now the last words I might have ever said to my mum...I was so mean." The boy started to tear up and Rory decided to pat his back in a helpless attempt to comfort him.

"Sorry. I was just curious. River told us that Time Lords would be sort of hatched in a loom...sorry...this is weird," Rory tried to explain his question but failing miserably.

Shrugging he answered, "How should I know what they did or not did on Gallifrey. Besides I'm not sure whether I'm a real Time Lord or not. It's not like I am eager to find out what happens when I die or how often I can die...did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"The laughter...listen!"

"No, I don't hear anything."

Ty jumped suddenly up, looking horrified, "We need to get away from here. Quick!"

"Why what's wrong? Oh! I hear what you mean," Rory said while turning towards a dark passage, following the sound of children's laughter. Though the laughter was off, sounding creepy and non earthly.

"Don't go that way! Rory,stop! There is a hole in time!" Ty shouted out frantically but it was too late. Rory had already disappeared in the passage and stepping into the shadows he was gone, followed by Ty who did not hesitate a second to run into trouble.

When Ty and Rory came out of the passage the sun had already set. The scenery had changed from New York 2012 to New York in the 1930ties judged by the people's way to dress and the brand new looking classic cars.

A woman approached followed by two men. Ty and Rory could not see the women's face as it was covered by a masculine hat. Pointing guns at the woman,Ty and Rory the two men ordered them to climb into a posh black car.

The woman took her hat off, revealing herself as River Song, and greeted Rory with a smug grin, "Hello Dad! How did you get here?" Before Rory could respond Ty answered quickly, "This city is full of temporal shifts and cracks. We obviously fell through a crack in time."

"Clever boy," she smiled in surprise. "Maybe I'll get along with you after all. I like my boys clever and pretty," she added with a chuckle.

Rory frowned, "River, are you flirting with the Doctor's son?"

She rolled her eyes, "Dad, you should know by now that I flirt with _everyone_. I won't start making exceptions today."

"Shut up! We have arrived," one of the gun carrying men yelled while dragging River,Ty and Rory into a mansion. Rory and Ty where almost immediately locked up in the basement while River was lead into a library.

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The Doctor,in the meantime was about to get mental: the book he had found on the park bench was obviously written by River and the events described in the novel started to happen right now.

One second Ty and Rory had been visible with coffee in their hands, being about to come back to him and Amy and the other second Rory would turn, walk into a passage and disappear followed by his son.

The Time Lord growled. He was not annoyed any more but really,really pissed, upset, angry and mad. River had wanted him to come somewhere else before he had made his way to New York. He had refused and now she was forcing him again into _something_. She had restarted her little "spoilers" game again and worse, Ty was now involved in it.

He was fed up. He hated the word "spoilers" and her little games but he had always played along like a good boy. This, on the other hand, was entirely different. He did not mind being in danger himself but putting Ty into danger was definitely a mistake.

Amy was just about to start reading the novel when the Doctor yanked the book out of her hands. "DON'T read a word!" he yelled outraged, "Once you read it, these events are fixed. History bound to happen." Tossing the book into the nearest trash bin he set it on fire with a lighter from the 52nd century, "Come along,Pond! I can track River's Vortex Manipulator down with the TARDIS." With these words the Time Lord started running towards the TARDIS.

Ty and Rory had been locked up in a pitch black basement with a pack of matches being told that the would make it longer that way. Rory light one of the matches, momentarily relieved that nothing frightening was in the basement except for some stone statues of fat little children. Still he was worried; a creepy laughter and giggling could be heard all the time. Lighting another match, Rory realised the stone statues had moved closer.

"What the hell...?" Rory asked the young Time Lord at his side anxiously and almost dropping the matches.

"Rory, this is vital:keep staring ahead as if you were seeing," Ty answered firmly.

"I don't see anything!"Rory exclaimed annoyed.

"Just DO it!" Ty snapped back, "Just keep looking right into the darkness, just pretend you've got sight and don't blink!"

"Why, what happens when I blink?" Rory asked, eyes wide open but blind.

"Well...you heard that giggling? That creepy laughter? These are Weeping Angels but luckily not fully grown ones, these are just children. They feast on the energy of the potential,consuming your time energy. They either set you back in time or kill you and live on the energy you would have used up in your time line. It's impossible to kill them but they are quantum locked, they only move when being looked at. So KEEP staring and don't let on you don't see,okay?"

Swallowing heavily Rory responded, "Okay...that means you can see them even now?"

"Yes...well,no but I see their pattern in time. They are like a black hole in the darkness of this basement, waiting to be filled. I can show you:take my hand and open your mind. You'll keep seeing them despite the darkness."Ty explained quietly.

Rory grabbed Ty's hand immediately and squeezing it tightly he almost begged, "Just do it,please! I have only one match left."

The two men took each other's hands and Ty opened up his mind for Rory. For a second, before Ty could filter his thoughts and feelings, Rory felt like falling through time and space, he sensed the planet beneath his feet racing around the sun and he was afraid they might crash. The sensation ebbed and finally Rory could see the Weeping Angels like a Time Lord. The looked like little black holes, swallowing time itself. Disgusting and frightening little monsters they were.

"Well, Rory: I suggest we move slowly backwards until we reach the door. We'll keep looking ahead and I'll try to open the door." Ty told Rory casually.

"Sounds like a plan. How come you're not freaked out by these creatures?"

"Mummy taught us that panicking would never help...," Ty shrugged and turned his attention to the door. "Locked,"he muttered and banged his shoulder violently against it. Unfortunately, he only got himself a couple of bruises but the door wouldn't give in.

"Seems we'll have to wait for someone to open the doors," he sighed rubbing his hurt arm and reaching out mentally for his father, the TARDIS and Jamie, hoping anyone would hear him calling.

Meanwhile the Doctor was very busy dragging a pouting and nagging Amy into the TARDIS, "You don't even know where to go! The book was the only chance to find River!"

"River?! Who said I want to find River? She is very capable of looking after herself. I am worried about Ty and Rory. This city is full of temporal distortions, shifts and cracks. He and Rory could be anywhere in time."

"Yes, and you burnt the book!" Amy snapped back infuriated.

"Righty right, I might admit that I should have checked for a date given in the book but I guess the TARDIS will solve our problem," and with that Amy was yanked into the time ship and she could not help but gasp out in surprise at the sight before her.

Jamie and Mickey were sitting on the control room's floor, playing chess and obviously Jamie was winning judged by Mickey's frustrated expression.

"Jamie!"the Doctor exclaimed happily while scooping him up in his arms, "Have you been a good boy?"

"Jep! I played chess with uncle Mickey,he is not good," the little boy grinned proudly, "Are we going to pick up Ty?"

"Of course, we just have to find out where he is..." The Doctor responded embarrassed.

"But I know where he is," Jamie answered gleeful.

The Doctor was honestly surprised."How?" He stammered out.

"He is talking to me in my head, the TARDIS can hear him too. She says she can find him. He wants you to answer him too."

The Doctor slammed his hand against his forehead and Jamie burst out in laughter, "Right! Time Lord. Rose's son. Eternally connected to the TARDIS. Telepathic abilities...stupid me!" Still holding Jamie in his arms he started pushing buttons and flipping levers, "Hold on tight anyone, this is gonna be a bunny bumpy ride!"

Amy's mouth hung open while she was staring at Jamie. The little boy started feeling uncomfortable under her gaze and turned his attention to her, "Hi! I am Jamie."

"Hi, Jamie. My name is Amy," she introduced herself while staring at him in curiosity, "Jamie, how old are you?"

"I am eight years, three months, six days, twenty-one hours, eighteen minutes and fifty one seconds old," Jamie answered enthusiastically, "Why?"

Narrowing her eyes and focussing her anger towards the Doctor Amy hissed, "I'll kill you! How could you cheat on my daughter?"

"What?! I never cheated on River!" he exclaimed appalled.

"You know River more than eight years!" she snapped.

"Amy, it's all a bit wibbly wobbly, timey whimey and parallel universe-y. Could we now focus on Ty and Rory?"

Before Amy was able to kick his shin the TARDIS made an unhappy sound and landed. Stepping outside Amy and the Doctor found themselves in a library facing an old man and River Song. Mickey and Jamie had once again been left inside the TARDIS and the Doctor had made it very clear to Mickey that his task was watching over Jamie and not allowing him to leave the TARDIS unless he fancied being tossed into the vortex.

"Hello Sweetie,"River greeted him cheerful, "mind helping me a bit?" She had finally hunted down a man who collected Weeping Angels like artefacts being completely oblivious to the danger of these creatures. But she had been caught and her hand was stuck in an Angel's talon.

"Didn't I tell you that your adventures could wait?" He snarled annoyed.

"Husband," she growled, "as you can see the Angel is holding my wrist. Get me out!"

"Amy!" The Doctor yelled, "get into the kitchen" and turning back towards River, "where is Tony?"

"What am I supposed to do in the kitchen?"

"Well, Pond it's obvious. As you can see your daughter's wrist is stuck and now get some oil or grease or butter. Something slimy,maybe? Off you go!"

"River what the hell are we doing here?!" the Doctor chunterd while grabbing olive oil from Amy's hands. Pouring the oil over her wrist he pulled it gently out of the Angel's tight grip

"Couldn't that have waited?!" he pouted while carefully examining her undamaged wrist. While he did so he felt the time lines around himself and his little entourage shift slightly having a feeling as if this situation could have been unimaginably worse.

"You've ruined my dress," River almost purred staring at him admiringly but this time he did not respond to her flirting, trying to focus on Tony. Unfortunately the Doctor was not the most talented telepath. He sensed Ty's presence, he had to be near but he was unable to tell where exactly his son might be.

"River," he said very softly but his voice trembled from hidden fury, "how could you possibly take Rory and Ty to this place? I don't mind if you play your little pranks with me but I won't allow _this_ with Ty and Jamie nearby,clear?"

While the Doctor reached out mentally for his son, Jamie sneaked out of the TARDIS and headed straight for the basement, always following his big brother's psychic presence. Mickey, who felt being put out had fallen asleep in front of the telly in the library. Once again the Doctor treated him like the tin dog, as if being useless. Meanwhile little Jamie managed to open the basement door's, releasing Ty and Rory. Being so focused on his brother, Jamie had forgotten to observe the area. As he stand on tip toes, grabbing the door-knob he slipped and falling he stared right at one of the angels and could not help blinking when he hit the floor.

"Doctor! Doctor! _Dad!_ " Ty shouted frantically while storming towards him with Rory following on his heels, "The Angels have Jamie! I can still feel him, he has only been moved in space but we need to go! Now! To a place called Winter Quay!"


	6. Chapter 6

Ty was rushing through the streets of New York as fast as he could. His infectious fear made the Doctor,River and the Ponds follow without asking further questions. Jamie's psychic presence lead them straight to the Winter Quay Hotel. It was a massive yet worn down building emitting an atmosphere of despair, pain and angst. One could sense the presence of numerous Weeping Angels.

Taking the building in the Doctor gasped out in fear and stopped. The words "Bad Wolf" where written all over the place in various colours and founts.

"What are you waiting for?" Ty shouted, giving the Doctor a surprised glance.

"Bad Wolf," he muttered in response but the words had already faded and Ty had obviously not seen them.

Waiting no longer Ty ran up the stairs leading to the impressive oak wooden entrance doors and entered the building. They all inhaled dust while their eyes adjusted to the dim light. Amy and Rory clung to one another, never letting go of their hands but neither the Doctor or Ty paid attention to their fear. River took her mother's hand and squeezing it reassuringly she made them walk on.

Ty lead the way further and further into the dusty and gloomy hotel only focused on his little brother. Stopping on the second floor he breathed in though gritted teeth, "Angel," he informed the little group, "and it's strong." The lights went out, putting especially the humans Amy and Rory in danger; but also River as she could only sense the Angel's presence but not see them like Ty or the Doctor. They backed up, slowly at first but when the Angel started to focus on Rory ,Ty yelled out "room" and dragged them into a room to his left.

The room was pretty small,messy but clean. There was a single bed, a desk with a typewriter sitting on it and the floor was covered with countless books on physics, mathematics and chemistry. But most important Jamie was there, sitting on the edge of the bed being not scared at all.

"Ty!" Jamie screamed relieved and threw himself into his brother's arms who lifted him up immediately hugging him so tightly the little boy had to gasp for air.

Sobbing Ty checked Jamie for bruises and muttered, "You are okay. Are you okay? They did not hurt you? Did they?"

"I'm all right Ty, Mr. Sculasson would not let the Angels come near me," Jamie reassured.

"Mr. Sculasson?" Ty and the Doctor echoed in unison when the door to the en suite opened and a middle aged man,dressed formally in a black frock and holding a glossy walking-stick entered. He had soft black eyes and was bald headed. His smile was kind and inspired confidence.

Holding out a hand he introduced himself, "Peter Sculasson. You must be Tony? And the infamous Doctor I suppose? Sorry, I don't know you," he added turning towards River and the Ponds.

Nobody replied but the Doctor scanned Sculasson quickly with his sonic screwdriver and frowning he asked, " _What_ are you?"

Sculasson chuckled, "Ah, I like that. Straight to the point. But nevertheless the question is rude."

"Sweetie, let's take him with us and ask the questions later. The Angels are closing up upon us," River threw in.

"Beautiful lady, I am not going anywhere. I am exactly where I must be. But you are right:time is running out and you have to leave soon. But the Angels are sorted. Or will be. Or have been. Sorry, time is not important to me any more and especially not to her."

"To her?" The Doctor asked.

"To the Wolf, of course. I gave her my word and my loyalty. But never him," he snorted, "I have honour."

Suddenly the building was illuminated and the air changed, it felt clean and fresh. The sensation of utter despair faded and the words "Bad Wolf" light up, now visible for everyone.

"Ah, it happens now," Sculasson remarked.

The Doctor approached Sculasson and staring at him in a what he hoped intimidating way he repeated his question, "What are you?"

"Over there I am still a human in a hotel room. I'll be going to the theatre tonight if the Wolf triumphs. But here? I think I am a memory. No,no...not a memory. I am here,though. Meanwhile here until I am not here any more. I am trapped here but safe and free there, hopefully."

"I don't understand," the Doctor told him, the confusion clearly visible on his face.

"Really? But you should. You saw others like me before. We were many," Sculasson answered gently but the Doctor only shook his head.

"My name is Peter Sculasson,scientist. Oh, and I am dying right now in this universe. It's bound to happen. A fixed point."he shrugged as if this was nothing. "But in a parallel world I am now going to the theatre and when I return I'll keep doing my researches; she told me that I'll invent something one day and this invention is a crossroad. It is the reason for the origin of the parallel world in which the Wolf is trapped."

"If you are dying how come you are here?" Ty asked frowning.

"Because the Angels trapped me. Angels trap humans here and live on their potential energy; I am dead but my energy stays for them to feast on me. So I am here _meanwhile_ ," Sculasson explained matter of factly and the Doctor's eyes light up in understanding and utter terror.

Jumping back the Doctor stated, "You are a _Meanwhile_!"

"Oh, yes! That was the word he used. Thank you," Sculasson replied smiling. "I assume you remember then?"

"Remember what?!" The Doctor shot back.

"What you could have been in the Time War."

"No I don't!" the Doctor shouted now trembling terrified with wide open eyes.

"Of course you do. You _Could have been King_."

"I would have never!" The Doctor snapped back infuriated.

"Oh, you thought about the possibility," Sculasson replied casually, "And that's enough cause the Valeyard fancies the idea a lot. And he is you. That's why I'd never follow your command" he added causing the Doctor to flinch painfully. "Are you really so oblivious? There are cracks in time and space and they are returning. The Wolf ended the Time War but the Valeyard has leashed her. If he kills the Wolf, the Time War returns and not only the Meanwhiles and Neverwheres. The Nightmare Child and the Horde of Travesties are already at the gates as well."

Pinching the Doctor Ty asked, "What is he talking about?"

"He is talking about the Time War. In the last days of the war, when nothing was sacred any more and every measure would have been taken to conquer the Daleks, the high council wanted me to lead the Army of Meanwhiles and Neverweres into battle. The Meanwhiles are creatures composed of the echoes of beings from other universes...like...like Sculasson. And the Neverweres are the ones that should have never been born. I refused. I time locked the war and... _killed them all._ I ended it."

"That is not true!" Sculasson shouted. "Remember what the Wolf said! She ended the war, not _you!_ How could you forget? Remember!" Sculasson growled annoyed.

Suddenly the building began to tremble and shake violently as if someone wanted to rip it open and a crack appeared in the wall. They all where blinded by a bright white light.

"The crack in my wall!" Amy exclaimed surprised and afraid.

"Listen!" Ty shouted.

"Oh my God. I can hear it now," River added.

"Hear what?!" The Doctor asked in frustration.

"Doc-tor WHO," Ty answered, "They keep repeating the question. They want to know your name. Your real name!"

"But what for?! And who?" The Doctor yelled out, running his fingers through his hair in desperation and incomprehension.

"Oh, many," a deep voice snarled in amusement and turning around the Doctor stared into the face of the Valeyard. He and Rose where standing in a parallel version of this very hotel room. It was almost as if someone had put up two mirrors parallel to one another. Stepping forward the Doctor tried to reach out for Rose but he ran into a wall. The walls between the universes were still standing but had become lucent.

Rose was in a terrible shape; her clothes, a simple black shirt and grey trousers hung in tatters from her skinny body. Her eyes were wide open in pain and horror and her face was flecked with dried blood. Not an inch of her body was undamaged as she was covered with black and blue bruises. She had a mat black collar around her neck and worst of all, and to point out her humiliation, the Valeyard was holding her on a leash. The Valeyard himself looked flawless, dressed in an expensive black pinstriped suit and glossy black boots. He was smiling but his eyes were burning with fury and rage.

"Sanctimonious Time Lord," the Valeyard started talking, "See what I've done: I've leashed the little Wolf. She just could not stop wandering off." With these words he pointed the screwdriver at her collar and Rose yelled out in pain while she fell to the floor. Ty and Jamie screamed in horror and both boys tried to smash trough the now transparent wall of the universe, causing the Valeyard to laugh tears.

"That is so funny!" he stated, "I haven't had so much fun in a long time."

"Let her go!" the Doctor told him in a low and threatening voice.

"Or what? I do as I please. And it pleases me to see her suffer." He yanked her upwards and kissed her roughly, violently. "Ah, don't you miss those soft lips? And what those lips can do to a man," he added with a wink.

"You will regret this," the Doctor told him firmly.

"I don't think so. But I am willing to strike an agreement." Grinning brightly he mused, "The little Wolf has once again been bad and crossed my plans. The Rose has still it's thorns and the man I've been looking for escaped me. I see you have found Mr. Sculasson as well."

"What do you want?" The Doctor asked trembling from rage and clenching his fists tightly.

"My name. I want to know my name."

"Oh, you have forgotten?"

"I want back what should always have been mine. I'll bend this universe to my will. All the lost one's will return and I will reign upon this world as I please."

"You are insane!"

"No. I am not. I am just doing what you always wanted to do but felt too repressed about."

"As if I would have ever tortured Rose!"

He huffed, "Stop denying your kinky side. And I might entertain the thought of treating her better in the future. Just tell me your name. Go on."

Staring down upon the miserable mess that once had been Rose Tyler, his pink and golden human, his lover and best friend, the Doctor stepped slowly closer. His hearts were slamming painfully in his chest and he did not even notice the tears streaming down his face, "Rose," his voice broke, "Rose, I am so sorry. I never wanted this."

Rose's eyes snapped open and looking at him in pain she raised her forefinger towards her mouth, telling him to keep his name hidden.

"I can't let you suffer any longer," the Doctor told her softly.

"You will," she whispered weakly.

"Oh, isn't that pathetic!" the Valeyard laughed out.

"Rose..."

"Go now! Keep my children safe. You owe me..." Rose's voice was nothing more than a hush.

"Rose Tyler, I love you," and swallowing heavily the Doctor shook his head and opened his mouth, ready to tell the Valeyard his true name.

Before he could utter the words, Rose slammed her hand against the wall. Her eyes lit up golden and for one moment everything seemed to sparkle before the walls became non transparent again. The Winter Quay Hotel trembled violently and started collapsing. The Angels where soaked into the crack while the Doctor, Ty, Jamie, River and the Ponds made it out in time. Peter Sculasson on the other hand was lost in this universe.

The little group legged back towards the TARDIS. Little Jamie was safe on the Doctor's right arm, clinging to the Time Lord's neck. The Doctor's left hand was entwined with Ty's hand, never letting go of him. They made a rather extraordinary picture to the humans of the 1930s. Two men, judged by their looks about the same age, and a little child but the Doctor could not have cared less. He would not allow to loose one his sons ever again.

Being in full oncoming storm mode,pissed by the events of the day and radiating pain and fury every living being instinctively backed up. Even Amy and Rory kept their distance, being confused and having a hard time understanding how the Doctor could possibly have two children. And the mother! Despite her troubled feelings, Amy could not help pitying the courageous woman she had just seen for the first time in her life. Standing aside, Amy and Rory had been unable to overhear the conversation between the maniac, the woman and the Doctor. River on the other hand had heard every single word and she had especially been paying attention, when the Doctor had declared his love for the messy blonde. He had said the words out loud. Not once had the Doctor said to River those three little words, always twisting himself around the topic like a snake. River could feel her temper flare and once back in the TARDIS the oncoming storm would have to face not only a river but a stream. If they would ever be alone on this damned day.

Jamie was sobbing all the way back to the TARDIS. The little boy could barely understand what was happening to his mother and why he had been unable to touch her. He was shaking violently and begging the Doctor to take him back home. "Shh, Jamie. We'll take you to your Mummy. I'll find her and I'll stop the man hurting her. Please,stop crying," the Doctor broken-heartedly made several effortless attempts to calm the kid down.

Once back on the TARDIS he begged his beloved ship to prepare a room for Jamie while the Ponds headed for their room. The result was stunning in every way,giving the little boy a room every kid only dreamt of: countless alien and earthly toys covered the floor, the ceiling was a perfect replica of the night sky, the floor made of apple-grass, the bed a racing car, the wardrobe shaped like Mickey Mouse and on top of it all the bathroom looked like a waterpark, complete with slides and numerous fountains. Overstrained and exhausted, Jamie drifted into sleep with slight telepathic help from his elder brother.

Ty was doing hardly better, he was constantly ruffling and tugging his hair and if the Doctor had not been holding his hand, he would certainly have pulled out some strands. "I am going to kill him," Ty stated, collapsing in the jump seat.

"You will most certainly not," the Doctor replied tensed faced.

"If given the opportunity, I will most certainly do," Ty answered confidently.

"You have no idea what that would do to you. Trust me,I know it," The Doctor told him sadly.

"What now?"

"Back to 2012, getting the second part of the dimension cannon."

"And the cracks? Someone is coming back and he is looking for you," Ty mused warily while staring at his father.

"We. Need. To. Talk.," River's ice cold voice ripped the two Time Lords from their thoughts, bringing them back into reality.

"Then talk," the Doctor snapped back.

"Alone!"

"Oh, the joy of domestics," he moaned sarcastically in response, being instantly rewarded with a hard slap.

"Don't you dare! How can you possibly treat me like this? Never did you say to me you loved me,never! And today you tell _her_! After four-hundred years! After all the sacrifices I made for you, after all we have been through!" River accused, sobbing without restraint, her face buried in her hands. All her strength, her cockiness, her toughness crumbled and faded, leaving only a heart-broken, betrayed woman. The strong, sexy warrior River Song replaced by the little girl Melody Pond. Lost and alone. Her entire world crushed into a black, bottomless abyss and she felt like so many years ago, when she was all alone and her own mother shot her into the chest.

"You only ever bring pain to the ones being stupid enough to love you! My whole life I have been trained to be a weapon, to take you down. Instead I gave you all my regenerations to spare your life. My mother, Amy Pond, was abducted by the Silence and kept hostage four nine months. Rory Williams lived for over 2000 years, watching over my mother! Donna Noble lost her memory, Martha Jones wandered the world for a year, never knowing whether she would make it or not! Captain Jack Harkness has been tortured in the very same year, he was killed over and over again. Made immortal by Rose! And Rose...Your precious Rose," River spit out scornfully, "Did you look into her eyes today? Did you see the pain? Did you see what that part of you did to her?! Her abused body? How long has she been tortured? All for you! Because you never care and only ever run away! None of us deserved THAT! You cause _nothing_ but pain! You don't even deserve those two wonderful children! All the people who ever come close to you get burnt and I HATE YOU!" she confessed under tears.

"River..."the Doctor started, running his fingers anxiously through his hair and tugging nervously at his bow tie.

"Sod it!" she hissed, running into her room.

The moment River left the console room, smashing doors behind her, breaking up with the Doctor, Ty felt the time lines shift violently. The whole relationship between River and his father was a massive paradox from start to finish. The first time, the Doctor had encountered River Song, had been the last day of her life. Saving the Doctor's younger self, she had sacrificed her own life. Ironically, her sacrifice made her own existence possible as it had lead the Doctor into his future. If not for her death, he would have never defeated the Daleks and the reality bomb would have wiped out the entire universe. River Song's death had been necessary for her own birth. Being trapped in the endless paradox of her own existence, she had never been given the chance to break free, been forced into the Doctor's arms and he had embraced her. But never had he loved her the way she loved him. But the moment this realisation hit her, time was about to collapse. With the Doctor wiped out of the universe, the universe would fall alike. It must not happen.

Ty made a decision. Not an easy one. River Song was strong and passionate, brave and beautiful in every way. Ty had never thought he would once make such a decision, entertain the thought of being so manipulative. Especially not towards someone he liked that much. Straightening himself the boy rose from the jump-seat, giving his father an unshaken, firm stare. The Doctor nodded, tears shining in his eyes and Ty wondered if his father felt like this every day. Making decisions for others, for a greater sake, a greater purpose. Causing so much grief along the way because any other option would only ever lead to so much more devastation. Sighing, he went to see River Song.

Ty entered River's room without knocking, "Please, I have to talk to you."

Her mouth twitched slightly as she turned to face the boy who had intruded her life so violently, "I don't know what about."

"River Song...I am sorry. I am sorry for intruding your life. For the pain you are in. I don't know you very well but I know that you don't deserve any of that."

"I don't blame you. Or your mother. She had to keep you safe. I would have done the same in her place,oblivious to any other woman who might or might not share the Doctor's life...rather not, I suppose," she pondered, staring into nothingness.

"We will leave. Me and my brother, I'll ask the Doctor to take us back to earth," Ty announced suddenly.

"Don't be ridiculous. That wouldn't change anything. He still loves your mother and the Valeyard still wants to reign over the universe," she snorted.

"You should have never heard him say that," Ty declared.

"But I have. And it was the truth." They were now both staring at each other with inconceivable intensity, staring at each other's time line and soul.

"I am so sorry," Ty confessed under tears.

Caressing the boy's cheek River told him softly, "You are turning into your father. He is always sorry. So sorry. It's only just beginning. The regret, the sorrow will be your life from now on."

"I know," tears streaming uncontrollably from his face he pushed himself into her mind. Ripping down her mental barriers, he rushed into her memories, feelings and thoughts. Into everything that was River Song and extracted the one memory when his father declared his love for Rose Tyler, holding her tight as she collapsed in his arms.

River blinked, "What happened?"

"It's been a long day," Ty told her softly.

"My memory is fuzzy...," River answered in confusion.

"The Winter Quay Hotel collapsed, a brick hit you," Ty lied.

"I think the Doctor needs me," River decided finally, heading for the console room.

"He does more than you know," Ty whispered, fighting down the guilt.


	7. Chapter 7

The part human, part Time Lord meta-crisis was staring dumbfounded at the Winter Quay Hotel's shabby wall. His fists clenched tightly and jaw slacked, he let the realisation hit him that months of work had been in vain. There was no way now to enter the prime universe this way. Scualsson had escaped and this fixed point in time would remain. He was watching Rose, lying on the floor and panting heavily, from the corner of his eye. Torn apart between the urge to embrace her and hold her in his arms and the urge to point the sonic at her, making her pay for crossing his plan, he settled on both.

An unbearable crescendo of voices was washing through his mind. Making any coherent thought impossible. They where screaming for him. They wanted him to rescue them. They shouted at him that he had promised, he had forgotten them,let them down. _Who_ were they? And always the question, the question he could no longer answer. He had forgotten the answer. _Who am I?_ He did no longer knew his identity and if he could not rescue the ones crying out to him through the cracks then he certainly wasn't the Doctor.

Looking at the wall, he remembered the moment he had forgotten his name. It had been back in the prime universe, when he had sent the Daleks to hell, feeling ultimate pleasure in doing so. Indulging in all the anger, fury and rage. Finally, they had died. And sanctimonious Time Lord had abandoned him for doing so. Had stolen his TARDIS and identity. Had let him suffer in the endless silence. Cutting a telepathic being off from his bonded TARDIS had been considered a crime on Gallifrey and now he knew exactly why. The only remaining song in his head had been a white noise;until the cracks had appeared and at this point things had really started getting pear-shaped.

He was nothing in this world. He was no Human. He was no Time Lord. He had no name. He was stuck on earth. He had barely lived but could remember nine-hundred years of travelling through space and time and it _hurt._

The woman he loved only ever reminded him of everything he had lost, so he began to blame her. She was the reason for his existence and she only loved him for being a copy. Never had she travelled through countless universes for him but for the Time Lord who still knew his name. Eventually, he begun to punish her. Feeling inferior beside her, he enjoyed the power he held over her. It fascinated him that she could stare down an entire fleet of Daleks but not him. She could see the time lines of every universe, she had telekinetic abilities and could read minds, but still he could control her, cage her and feel slightly better doing so.

"Who are they? The voices?" The Valeyard asked Rose softly, finally looking at her properly.

"As long as you can't remember, I can't tell you," Rose replied weakly. "You know how it works. Let me help you. Let me shut the voices out of our head. Please, I can do that for you."

"No,no,no! I can't stand the silence again. I just can't!" he almost whined,begged.

"But you know who they are! You know what they want! You know and I'm the idiot!" he screamed in frustration, tugging his earlobe.

"Yes, I do. It is my fault you hear them calling. You have to make a decision to stop them."

"What decision?!" he was crying now, sitting next to her on the floor and holding her feeble body in his arms.

"To be the Doctor again," Rose replied,cupping his face in her hands.

"But I don't want to be the Doctor any more! I don't want to accept the fixed points any longer,the suffering,the dead people! I want to rewrite time, I want...I just want to be healed. It's me who needs a Doctor ," the Valeyard admitted desperately.

"You're getting it all wrong. You cause much more pain if you want to leash time,my love. You're hurting not only me. People will die. Why do you think you can make time itself obey you?" she asked him softly, sensing his temper shift again. He had been sad and disappointed after the wall had closed. Even a bit thoughtful and aware of the fact that he had almost destroyed an entire universe. If Sculasson had not escaped, the reapers would have showed up and perhaps the walls would have been weak enough to let the Nightmare Child and the Horde of Travesties through, enabling him to rebuilt the universe. He could have made it better, he thought bitterly.

"Cause I'm a bloody Time Lord! Time has to obey ME!" he screamed outraged.

Rose sighed. The voices had chosen to haunt him because he was and was not the Doctor. He had been born from blood,battle and anger and being partly human made him feeble, lacking the self-control he used to have as a Time Lord. Donna's mind had just burnt up but he, he was too strong to die but to weak to cope.

"Well,"he started, a manic grin plastered on his face. "Plan B it is then!"The Valeyard grinned, bouncing back and forth on his heels. "I am not beaten yet, just watch me! Besides, I still have my Meanwhiles, let's see if I get you to cooperate if I let them loose on the prime universe...and don't think I won't punish you," he added darkly, making Rose shiver.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I am not getting it," the Doctor barked out, staring down at the parts of the dimension cannon in his best oncoming storm manner. Being miffed didn't help at all; he had finally nicked the second part from UNIT and headed back for Cardiff (without incidents this time) only to find out, that the dimension cannon was not a cannon at all but...honestly,he had no clue what he was looking at. There was an outer hull which made the gadget look like a proper weapon but it was only a disguise. The real discovery was the thing inside the cannon: two parts of a musical instrument? He frowned. It looked, for the lack of a better word,like a whistle and one could enter various codes and each code would start a sound. Admittedly, the little pipe-like whatever made a beautiful sound but how for Rassilon's sake would that enable anyone to travel across dimensions? It made no sense and he was getting impatient.

He tossed his tiny rest of Time Lord self-control out into the Vortex when Mickey stumbled yawning into the control room.

"I hope you slept well," the Doctor started, voice cheerful but boiling inside and Mickey would be his vent.

"Yeah,thanx. Where is Jamie? We dozed off watching cartoons in the library," Mickey told him, rubbing his eyes.

"In his room. Miraculously. He went out."

"Obviously," Mickey replied confused, not knowing where this was leading.

"He went outside the TARDIS. We met Rose, it wasn't a nice reunion,though. Rather traumatizing for the child," the Doctor mentioned casually.

"You what?!" Mickey gasped out and the Doctor told him about the events at the Winter Quay Hotel. He never raised his voice and kept retelling the events as if talking about the weather report but his eyes had become really dark and Mickey backed up instinctively. For the first time he was truly afraid of the Doctor.

"I trusted you to watch over Jamie. Rose trusted you," he whispered gravely. "You were so eager judging me and my actions but you can't even look after her child for an hour."

"But he is all right?" Mickey swallowed.

"No,not at all. He just saw his mother crawling over the floor,covered in blood," Crossing his arms, the Doctor stared pointedly at the man in front of him. "Get the hell out of my TARDIS," he hissed. Mickey the idiot, don't you ever think you'll have again a word in my business," he finished and opening the TARDIS doors he pointed outside.

"Are you deaf?! Get the the hell out of here!" the Doctor was yelling now but his voice died off looking outside: Cardiff was burning. The rift was wide open and an entire army of Wheevils, dinosaurs and aliens was crawling through the streets. The city was filled with the screams of panicking humans, running in all directions.

Only one figure seemed to have a destination. Captain Jack Harkness came running towards the TARDIS, shouting frantically with Martha in tow.

"Doctor! The rift is open to every time zone in the whole of creation! The energy is being channelled between Earth and a planet called Darillium," the Captain spit out in agony.

"It was Owen!" The Captain gasped out, slamming the TARDIS' door shut before a rabid Tyrannosaurus could rip out his right arm.

"Owen?" The Doctor frowned.

"M.D. Owen Harper, Torchwood member. You met him before,briefly," Martha added, panting heavily before throwing herself into Mickey's arms.

"What are you talking about,Jack? Owen Harper and Toshiko Sato died during the nuclear meltdown caused by your brother," The Doctor ran back to the console to measure the rift activity while running his fingers abstractedly through his hair.

"Owen went nuts, he opened the rift to every time zone at once...wait,hold on a sec!" Jack nearly shouted, "How can he be alive? He died...we fought in his honour when the Daleks moved Earth...how could I have forgotten?" The Captain was now running in circles around the TARDIS' console.

"That is not good...really not good," the Doctor stated, trying to look at his monitors and Jack at the same time. "We just met a man supposed to be dead. Well, at least in this universe. Right-O! But first things first! We need to close the rift. I'll let the TARDIS absorb the rift energy and use the energy then to send the dinosaurs and the Wheevils back to their right time."

"You'll kill the TARDIS, sweetie. She won't take that overload of energy," River commented the Doctor's plan dryly, checking her laser blaster and making herself ready for battle.

"Unless you don't want to gun down an army of monsters there is really no other option,River," the Time Lord answered gloomily. "You'll handle that my old girl? Won't you?" he muttered to his time ship.

"Haven't put my laser blaster to good use since I'm travelling with you,flower child. And it's better than sacrificing the TARDIS," River snapped back.

"Laser blaster?" The Captain asked surprised. "Gorgeous, I could show you _my_ guns," and gave her his patent smile. The Doctor looked at him as if he had turned into a pear but only rolled his eyes.

"Everyone hold on tight! We're gonna fly right into the rift, overload the TARDIS and discharge her at the same moment. Barf bags are under the console, use 'em, else she'll be upset," the Doctor smirked sardonically while setting the coordinates. "Ty! Jamie! Get a grip,now!" he yelled while the TARDIS made hideous sounds, sending her passengers flying from one side to another. Suddenly, the light was almost maddeningly bright before they all found themselves in complete darkness and silence.

The Doctor's eyes adjusted quickly to the blackness, Ty, Jamie, River and his Ponds were unhurt to his relief and he could hear Martha and Mickey curse out loud. Good, no harm done and Jack would always survive everything. Just the TARDIS decided to remain silent but he could sense her soothing presence, meaning she was still alive.

"So, Captain Harkness, time to meet your colleague!" the Doctor announced rubbing his fingers in anticipation. Before reaching the TARDIS' door, the lights went back on and the time ship trembled violently. The monitors indicated that the rift energy was increasing again rapidly. The TARDIS would not take a second overload within such a short time.

"How is that possible? It should take hours before the rift being able to send out this high amount of energy," Jack said appalled. "The dinosaurs could be back within an hour, if not less."

"Jack,you said the rift energy was channelled between Earth and another planet. Which planet was it again?" the Doctor asked.

"Darillium," and when the Time Lord almost chocked at the name of the planet Jack added, "What is there,Doctor?"

He was about to answer Jack when River burst out, "Are you kidding me?! You have been talking since ages about taking me to the Singing Towers of Darillium, but for a date,not universe saving." She pouted shamelessly, causing Jack to laugh delightedly.

"Don't worry,gorgeous. I can make Darillium unforgettable for you if that alien here does not know how to to treat a lady," he waggled his eye brows and River grinned back mischievously.

"I'd see you try. Though I doubt you can beat my husband."

"No need to beat him, he beats himself any ways,right Martha?" Jack retorted and Martha flushed.

"Jack,River! I am standing right here and there is no way you are going to Darillium. At least not now," the Doctor threw in annoyed.

She rolled her eyes, "If I wait for you to take me on a date I'll have to wait for your next regeneration. No way I don't see Darillium finally."

"We were ice-skating with Danny DeVito three weeks ago. That counts as a proper date!" the Doctor mauled.

"That wasn't DeVito but a Slitheen!" she retorted.

"How should I have known that a Slitheen fits into such a small body!"

Jack clapped his hands, "The rift is still powering up again!"

"Right. Earth saving should be top priority. Let's meet the undead Owen Harper. Jack, with me and the rest of you lot stay here. Don't wander off! Anyone just stay here," the Doctor instructed determinedly, pulling Jack with him out of the TARDIS

The Torchwood hub was a mess. The elevator was broken, half of the scientific equipment was floating in water while the other half was on fire. It wasn't a surprise, though. The whole town of Cardiff had suffered from the attack.

They found Gwen looked up in one of the cells but Owen was nowhere to be seen. At least not until he came chasing around the corner, ready to fire. Owen looked undamaged, dressed in his white lab coat but his expression was off. His eyes shone brightly and his pupils were big as saucers. When his eyes locked onto the Doctor he made a face as if Jesus Christ himself had appeared in the hub. Dropping his gun he fell onto his knees and bubbled out in awe, "My Master! My Lord and King! I am your willing devotee. I have failed, my King, I await your punishment, but know I have re-established the connection to Darillium."

The Doctor scanned him quickly, using the sonic screwdriver which only responded that his species had been human but was now unknown.

"Right. Punishment. Why did you open the rift, Owen?" the Doctor started slowly, dragging Jack and Gwen behind his back.

"You ordered, my King," Owen answered matter of factly.

"Yes. I did,obviously. You know why I ordered you to do so?"

"Are you testing me,my Master?" Owen asked carefully.

"Answer your King,Owen," the Doctor retorted haughtily, "And drop your weapon."

"Yes,my King," he dropped the weapon. "You wanted my brothers and sisters to come here. We will be many, we will come from _everywhere_. We will conquer the universe in your name, we come through the void, the rift spits us out and once we are finished, our victorious Kind will decide who will live and die." Owen recited, looking like some religious bigot.

"Correctamundo," the Doctor reassured. "Owen...go into the cell and await your punishment."

Owen walked obediently into confinement while Gwen and Jack exchanged confused looks.

"Doc? What the hell does he call you Master and King for?" Jack asked suspiciously. "I had enough Master for a life time on the Valiant."

"You remember what I told you about the Valeyard? I am somewhat the same person...in some very wibbly wobbly, timey whimey way. At least such entities as Owen can obviously not differ between him and me, which is honestly quite handy," the Doctor explained, staring innocently at the ceiling.

"Doesn't answer my question."

"Well...in the last days of the time war we created some creatures called the Meanwhiles and I could have been their king if I hadn't refused. Owen died in this universe but apparently he was still alive in Rose's universe. The Valeyard must have sent him through the void here, he should be dead due to the void travel but if his death is fixed in the other universe, means if there is a point in time when he _must_ die, he would survive but...change. Owen isn't Owen. He is a Meanwhile. Luckily not one which caused the entire existence of another universe," The Doctor pondered, walking up and down the corridor.

"I did not understand half of what you are talking about, Doc. On a scale from one to ten: how bad is it?" Jack demanded.

"I'd say eighteen at least. Rating is gonna go up when the first Neverwheres show up. Meanwhiles...Darillium...Singing Towers...a whistle...where is the connection? The Valeyard can't travel between the walls of the universes but he can send Meanwhiles through to do his work. Like Sculasson and Owen. Sculasson would have allowed him to enter this universe, Owen on the other hand is just a soldier," he murmured absent-mindedly.

"A whistle?"

"Yeah, the dimension cannon is not a cannon but a whistle."

"Both has something to do with music," Gwen threw in, attempting to be helpful.

"How does music help saving Rose?" he scowled.

"Who the hell is Rose," Gwen demanded but Jack hushed her.

"That's it! I am so daft...of course...music causes vibrations and vibrations cause movements, friction! Energy is set free and things start to shift! The vibrations are key," The Doctor exclaimed gleefully, jumping up and down, reminding Gwen and Jack of a hyperactive puppy. "Geronimo, Jack!We have thirty-eight minutes left before the Singing Towers power the rift up again and an entire army tries to conquer Earth! Gwen, separate the connection between Darillium and Earth, that will buy us some time but the rift will power up any way sooner or later. The trick with the TARDIS won't work again. Hop,hop!"


	8. Chapter 8

Once upon a time, a young shop girl from London with no A-levels made an odd bargain with time. Rose Tyler had just been an ordinary human with a dull job and a dull boyfriend until a time travelling alien came along and swept her away. Grabbing her hand and shouting "run" had been enough to make her fall in love and since that day, Rose Tyler had never stopped running.

Well, until today. Today would be the last day of her life. Time was running out from her body and Rose could by now tell that she had only about two hours left. In two hours time Torchwood would storm the Valeyard's mansion and take him down. Thanks to the promise she once made, the Valeyard could not be killed as long as she lived, the promise she could not even break if she wanted to.

Rose had once looked into time itself, becoming the Bad Wolf, a being with godlike powers. She could have literally done anything but back then,she had only one thought in her mind: _I want you safe,my Doctor._ Those six little words, spoken by a being with endless power changed even the fixed time lines.

Staring into time, Rose had only been looking for her Doctor. Nothing else caught her interest, all her powers were solely focussed on her alien love, yet she did not find him. The Doctor had ceased to exist in a paradox. She had only left him at the game station, how could he not exist at all? And then she began to understand what happened.

Back in the time war, the Doctor had chosen to destroy the Daleks and the Time Lords alike. He had chosen to slaughter billions, keeping the universe going. Doing so, had killed the Doctor in him. He had changed into someone else. A dark, hard, cruel and unforgiving man, known as the Valeyard or the King of the Meanwhiles and Neverwheres.

It was a paradox. If the Doctor would have never met Rose, she would have never gone back to the time war to give him another choice. His future and Rose's future made the past possible and the past made the future possible.

Looking into time, Rose became the mind of time itself, she became every moment in time and space and she burnt. Time itself burnt from the horrors of the time war and she knew she had to end it. So the Bad Wolf turned into the Moment, the one moment when the Doctor had sacrificed Gallifrey and she gave him another chance to change his mind.

Going back into the Doctor's past, she showed him glimpses of his future, giving him an incentive how to save Gallifrey. Assembling the War Doctor as well as the tenth and the eleventh Doctor made him reconsider his actions and Gallifrey could be saved; but at a price. The dark entity he should have become did not cease to exist but remained in the Doctor's subconsciousness, one day to be released as the Valeyard. Rose made another bargain and accepted to make the Valeyard her burden.

When the meta-crisis happened, Rose knew the day had come. She would have to pay for changing the past, ending the time war and saving the Doctor. The Valeyard became her burden and as long as she lived, she would be unable to stop him. Her promise, keeping the Doctor safe bounded her even towards the Valeyard as he was the Doctor's dark self.

The Bad Wolf protected the Valeyard and only on the day of her death, the Valeyard would be stopped. Therefore Rose could only hope that she would die before him being able to send more Meanwhiles into the prime universe. She could only imagine which destruction the Meanwhile Owen might have caused.

She knew that the connection between the rift and Darillium had been disconnected and the rift energy had been absorbed. Probably by the Doctor's TARDIS Rose mused. It would last hours before the Valeyard would be able to send more Meanwhiles through the void to be spit out by the rift. If she died _before_ the rift would power up again, her old Torchwood team would be able to stop him and no further damage would be caused. Torchwood was already waiting to take him down.

All this time she had hoped to make him better, to turn him into the Doctor again. A Doctor who would one day remember what he really did in the time war and recognise the voices calling out for him.

The cracks in the walls of the universe were the breaches between all parallel cosmoses and the pocket universe in which Gallifrey had been tucked away, safe from the horrors of the war. The voices were calling for him because his name was the key to unlock the walls that separated Gallifrey from the rest of the universe. But the time had not yet come for the Doctor to return home, it was too early and the war would only start again if he now unlocked Gallifrey, besides he must remember himself what really had happened. Rose could not tell him the truth, else she would change the past, this brittle, precious past she had constructed so carefully.

Her head hurt from the complicated, unnerving paradox concerning her, the Doctor, Gallifrey, Bad Wold and the Moment. By now, Rose was at a point of complete apathy, only awaiting her death which would approximately happen five minutes before the rift would power up again. She truly hoped her twisted Doctor would not surprise her again and come up with another idea to enter the prime universe. Two hours. That was all the time yet to pass before she died and a Torchwood team member would be able to end the Valeyard's reign of terror.

"Roooooose!" the Valeyard squealed bad tempered.

Oh bugger, that voice indicated he still hadn't run out of ideas. Rose turned her head lazily towards his screeching voice, "What is it," she asked harshly.

"My rift has not enough power to send my Meanwhiles through," he pouted, "Other me must have found Owen."

"Well, I didn't expect anything else. You are just a weak copy, the shadow of a brilliant man. A fail from start to finish," she answered teasing him on purpose, hoping he would use his sonic on her and shorten her life span even more. Two hours were still a long time and she was afraid he would find a way to cause some more harm.

"Are you teasing me, Rose Tyler?" he asked with a smirk in his eyes. "I'd like to show you what a real tease is."

Rose gasped appalled. The Valeyard's minions dragged her old Torchwood team members in, lining them up against the wall. "Bad,bad wolf," he growled imitating a wolf's howl, "Did you want them to execute me? Found them lurking round our home. I didn't invite them, did you invite them, wifey?"

"I might have. But you have always been so inattentive. You might have forgotten, you seem to forget a lot of things nowadays," Rose tried to provoke him, drawing his attention towards her. It worked this time. The Valeyard spent the next minutes torturing her with his sonic and her collar.

"Do not humiliate me!" he hissed through gritted teeth. "They will suffer for your impertinence," he announced.

"No!" Rose shouted in fear for her friends.

"No,no,no,no! You keep frustrating me with your endless no," he danced around Rose, chanting "no" until it bored him and he decided to slap her, sending her straight to the ground.

"Rose! Let's play a game!" the Valeyard exclaimed suddenly, clapping his hands in anticipation. "You'll get up again and face your old team members. Each team member gets a number, then I'll hit you once more. If I have to hit you once to send you to the ground, number one dies. If I have to hit you twice before you go the ground, number two dies and so on...do you like my game,Rose?"

Rose tumbled to her feet, praying that Bad Wolf would keep her upright or even allow her to create a force field around her colleagues.

"The Doctor would _never_ act like you,"Rose accused.

"You told me yourself I wasn't the Doctor," he snapped back. "Come on love, send this useless bunch of humans to theirs grave."

"Leave them alone! It's me that you want, me you want to break, me you want to send to the grave."

"To the grave?" he echoed. "The grave, my grave! Of course! But, Rose, that's brilliant!" he was rambling and running in circles. "Don't you see? My grave is at Trenzalore in the other universe but it is also in this universe. My own time stream cuts through my grave and as I have been in this universe as well as in the parallel dimension, my dead body's time stream exists here as well! I only have to enter my time stream to enter the prime universe! That is sooooo easy. Besides, that could enable me to defeat him, take over his life. Rose! I'll be full Time Lord again!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Doctor! Doc! Wait," Jack shouted, trying to regain the Time Lord's attention. "For fuck's sake, what is coming through that rift when it powers up again?" The immortal Captain demanded to know.

"Perhaps another creature like Owen. But I honestly don't know and I'm not planning to find out. It's important that it doesn't go on overload again," the Doctor replied while walking quickly ahead.

"So, what now?"

"Isn't that obvious?!" the Time Lord huffed impatiently.

"No, Doc, it really is not!"

"Visiting the Valeyard," the Doctor told him casually while rummaging through Torchwood equipment. "Jack, show me where the weapons are tucked away."

Jack stopped immediately, his mouth was agape, "Weapons, Doc? You wanna know where the weapons are?"

"Not any kind of weapon...something with a little BAM(!) would do good. You don't have a 62nd century atomic sub-wave rifle? Dismantles your opponent into his atoms, literally."

"Doc?" Jack prompted.

"Didn't you hear me?"

"What the hell for do you want a weapon?!"

"Now that is really obvious, isn't it? For the Valeyard of course," the Doctor answered matter of factly.

"But-" Jack had a hard time believing the Doctor wished to carry a weapon.

The Time Lord gave him a severe stare, "Jack, I know how to use weapons, I used to be a soldier and though I don't exactly fancy using them...how do you put it? The exception proves the rule...so...now that is a fine rifle." The Doctor held up a gun, eyes shining brightly and stuffed it into his tweed jacket, "Geronimo!"

Back in the TARDIS the Doctor went straight for the little whistle that had been embedded in the dimension canon. Talking to himself, running in circles and adjusting his hair and bow-tie in turns he pondered, "So, the rift's power has been amplified due to a connection to Darillium and it's singing towers. The air between the singing towers vibrates, causes friction and sets free energy...vibrations...energy. Ah! The sonic works the same way,it causes the atoms to shift and opens-well stuff. The whistle must work the same way, the right frequency, the right wave-length will be able to open the door between dimensions!"

He stopped still in his frantic movements and his face fell, "Rose needed thirty years to discover the right frequency."

"Ehm..."Ty cleared his throat noisily. "You can enter various codes into that whistle, right? I suppose the code for this universe must be your name cause she always said nobody but you besides her would ever be able to use it properly. Suppose besides you no one knows your name,am I right? If you now reverse that to it's point of origin then..." Ty frowned. "Are you all right, Doctor?"

"That is absolutely brilliant,Ty!" he exclaimed blissfully and embraced the boy in a bone shuttering hug.

"She knows your name?! Your proper name?" River asked curiously.

The Doctor glanced earnestly at River, "It's better not to know, River. I'll tell you one day,though."

"Why?! We are _married_ ," she reminded him.

"Do we have to discuss that now?! The universe might collapse, if it still exists later I promise we'll do the domestics," he huffed.

"Okay, back to Ro-... universe saving duties!" he exclaimed with his typical manic energy. "I have to encode my name into the whistle but we need energy as well. Enough energy to send us through,including the TARDIS...Right-O! Seems we have to make a short stop at the singing towers, the towers will amplify the tunes and dimension-travel is officially possible again."

"River? Stay in Cardiff!" The Doctor added, looking everywhere except at his wife.

"Stay here?! So you can swan off and save my predecessor,no way."

"Someone should keep an eye on the rift and you are most capable."

"I repeat:NO!"

"River...it's important: I want to go to Darillium with you but not like this. It's not time yet," the Doctor now almost pleaded. Darillium would be the last place he would ever visit with River before she would be summoned to lead a team to the library planet. River's was time was running out and he wanted to protract her end as long as possible but she wasn't having any of that.

"I have a Vortex Manipulator and if you kick me out of the TARDIS I'll use it!" The Doctor winced and gave in, her trip to Darillium wasn't meant to be like that. Despite the fact him being rude and not ginger he was very well aware of the fact that a perfect last date would not be defined as saving another woman (a woman he was still in love with if being honest).

Once they made it to the planet in question, the Doctor connected his time ship to the dimension-whistle and the singing towers to amplify the vibrations while River used her time to have a look at one of the universe's most famous tourist spots. Jack accompanied her, curious to learn more about the Doctor's wife.

"So...you really married that git?" Jack asked expectantly.

"Git?" River raised an eye-brow.

"I have worse words for him but I'm not quite sure they are appropriate hence we don't know each other."

"What did he do to you that you can't decide whether to loathe or love him? I caught you staring at his bum," River smiled but it did not reach her eyes.

"He is reckless and dangerous and he leaves the one's who love him behind. He never looks back. The Doctor did that to me and I forgave him but what he did to Rose and now does to you makes me want to change his pretty Time Lord face with my fist," Jack confessed.

"To me? You really think you have the right to judge my relationship with my husband?"

"Gorgeous, whom are you kidding? You are smart, brave, cheeky and utterly beautiful – like all the girls he takes with him. That guy is stuck between a girl and a box. The problem I see is that he treats you like all of his companions, he'd sacrifice himself in the blink of an eye for you but do you share something like a life with him?"

River didn't answer but kept staring at the towers, "I expected this place to be more...I don't know, I am not overwhelmed." She paused before facing the Captain, "What the hell is so special about Rose Tyler?"

"You shouldn't ask me,River."

"Why? You knew her."

"Yeah. And I love her." River's eyes went wide and Jack waved his hands. "Not like that. Like a little sister. Rose has that little talent. If you think everything is just fucked up and there is no hope to make your life ever better she opens your eyes and lets you see everything from a different angle."

"Such a saint," River remarked sarcastically.

"I never liked saints," the Captain gave her a flirtatious smile, "I tend to prefer sinners."

"Ohhhh," she purred, "Stop it: I'm a married woman." Both snorted and River wiped her eyes.

"You know, I suppose I'll die soon. This place here: Darillium...he always wanted it to be special for us. Of course he had to muck up. The Doctor and me, we keep meeting in the wrong order. I meet younger versions of him, we never know what we have already experienced or not. It doesn't make much sense."

"I see. You two live in an endless paradox." The Captain mused for a while before he shot her an incredulous glance, "Did you marry him because there was just no way to break free?!"

"No...there was some heavy universe saving involved," River answered and Jack made a voice close to a bark. "And I love him."

"Honestly? Why?"

"I trust him with my life."

"Yeah? Cause I don't. Something is off about you, I have a strange sensation that your memory has recently been altered and."

"What do you mean?" her voice was sharp.

"You keep staring to the left and you constantly blink and frown. You try to remember something. Trust me, I know the signals of memory erasure. Time and Torchwood agent. River, the Doctor lies and tricks people. His intentions might be good but the outcome isn't always. And right now, I want to know what we are heading into. This Valeyard guy won't be pleasant and Rose is involved. Which means our precious Time Lord will soon be getting very emotional. Emotional and dangerous go hand in hand with him, besides: he took a weapon from Torchwood."

River stood still while digesting the Captain's words. She knew something wasn't right with her head since Winter Quay but she never expected the Doctor to play with her mind or alter her memories. He was right though, ever since Ty had been talking to her in the TARDIS she felt weird and then in hit her.

"That bastard! He allowed his son to erase some of my memories," River massaged her temples still unable to remember what had been erased but horrified by the immensity of her husbands deceit. "I deserve better than THAT! First the Silence used me as a weapon and now he uses me just the same."

"Told ya," the Captain stated lazily.

"You know what? I'm done but I'll make Darillium indeed unforgettable for myself."

"Shall I help you?" Jack winked flirtatiously.

"Oh yes," River replied with a filthy grin.

Twenty minutes later River's communicator chimed and the Doctor's voice was to be heard, "Jack,River! The portal is open, let's hop to another universe!"

Before the TARDIS took off, the Doctor took River's hand, wanting a word with her, "River...Darillium should have been a proper date for us two but it seems the universe likes keeping us busy."

"Don't worry sweetie. I've already figured out that Darillium might be one of the last places if not the last we'll visit together."

"River! You may never ever say something like this. The past is in constant flux, time can be rewritten and you may not let time become fixed if possible."

She rolled her eyes and thought about asking him about her memory.

"You wanted to know my name,River. I'll tell you now," and the Doctor leant forward and whispered his true name into her ear. Now River was sure she would die soon.


	9. Chapter 9

“There is no way I can protect you any longer if you do this,” Rose told the Valeyard earnestly.

 

“Protect me?! All you do is hinder me! Open that door NOW!” he exclaimed infuriated but she only shook her head sadly. “I'll make you obey! Stupid other me will be here any second and the doors will open!”

 

Rose sighed, “I know. You can never stay away even if you must.”

 

The Valeyard and Rose had found their way to Trenzalore, a planet which one day would become the Doctor's grave. The deserted, devastated landscape was dominated by a gigantic putrescent TARDIS in which the Time Lord would one day find his final destination. Behind the currently closed doors of the time ship lay the Doctor's own time stream as well as the Valeyard's. Both streams were identical up to the point of the Valeyard's separation from his other half. Entering the stream would allow him to alter his own history in every way. He was oblivious to the fact that altering his past would lead to the Valeyard's erasure from history.

 

“How does the door open any ways?” he asked harshly.

 

“Your name,” Rose responded wearily. Her time was running out and she could feel her death approaching, coming closer and closer every second. She would be unable to prevent disaster after her death.

 

“Always my cursed name! Why don't you just tell me!”

 

“Because it isn't yours as long as you can't remember,” she sighed in frustration. Back at the game station she vowed to protect her Doctor through all time and space. If the Valeyard's version tried to destroy himself Bad Wolf would be ripped apart to prevent time from collapsing. Rose wasn't really sure what would happen in that case: if time would fade or the multiverse would collapse. Each possibility seemed devastating enough. She hoped the Doctor would not show up and make the situation even more complicated. Her death would become salvation: without her protection the Valeyard would just become an ordinary human and therefore be unable to control the Meanwhiles. He would grow old, wither and die, he would no longer be her responsibility and most important: entering his own time stream would only kill him.

 

Rose didn't feel bitterness just urgency and remorse, her boys would have to grow up without their mother. Would the Time Lord care for them? She wondered what his life had been like since their last encounter and what must have happened to him to trigger another regeneration. Though, his new face had seemed awkwardly familiar.

 

The Doctor in the meantime was busy driving his TARDIS across the universe's borders. The ride was unfamiliar smooth and trouble free. For the second time in his life his TARDIS was filled with people: Captain Jack, his Ponds, River, Mickey and Martha and his wonderful boys Ty and Jamie. He considered Jamie being his son as much as Ty. Would this day end in disaster? Like the last time he had been surrounded by so many loved ones? Would he see Rose one last time to watch her die and loose all these people with her? Everyone on his time ship seemed to be cross with him and he understood their reasons perfectly being the uncrowned king of self-loathing.

 

He had only seen her for a moment at the Winter Quay Hotel but it had been enough to remember him that his feelings for her had never changed and would never change. She was and would always be the one woman he wanted in his life, in his TARDIS. Just as it should be and never was. Because the universe was cruel and loved keeping him separated from her. His grip tightened around a lever and despite his respiratory bypass he could hardly breathe while his eyes filled with tears. She would die. He would watch her die. The Doctor was unsure he would be able to take it.

 

Amy watched the Doctor for a while now. Mickey had eventually told her the Doctor's and Rose's tragic love story and though she didn't like the thought of the Doctor being with someone else than her daughter she pitied him. She had always known that River and the Doctor liked each other very much and that River loved him but she had always doubted the Doctor would respond equally to her feelings. He just never looked at River the way Rory looked at her but she had ever shrugged it off with him being alien. Making a decision she stepped up and grabbed the Doctor's trembling hands, “Come on! Let's save the girl and reunite these boys with their mother. Melody had to grow up without a proper family, we don't have to repeat history.”

 

“Amy...”he was astounded by her change of emotions.

 

“I'm a mother, raggedy man,” she replied as if that would explain everything – and it did.

 

Adjusting his bow tie the Doctor descended the TARDIS, taking in the hostile planet of Trenzalore and preparing himself for the Valeyard.

 

“Ohhhhhh! I've told you he would join our little party!” the Valeyard beamed at Rose while clapping his hands in manic joy. “The day gets better and better every second.”

 

Rose stared incredulous at the Doctor's TARDIS in the distance. She had only minutes left and her earlier hope faded instantly.

 

“So, you've made it here,” the Valeyard greeted the Doctor joyful. “You brought a nice little entourage,” he stated looking at Captain Jack,River and the Ponds. Mickey and Martha were still aboard with Ty and Jamie and instructions of how to get back to Earth.

 

“Didn't I tell you to stay away from me?” Rose hissed infuriated.

 

“You look like you could need some help,” Captain Jack grinned at her but his eyes looked concerned. Rose was only skin and bones, her face had the colour of ash and her clothes were blood stained. Various scars on her arms didn't help to improve his impression.

 

“So we meet again,” the Doctor stated through gritted teeth.

 

“We were meant to. Though little miss flower tried to keep us apart all along. Ironically, she will now make sure my final victory over you.”

 

“Is that so?”

 

“You can't see her suffer,can you? I've made her this marvellous collar and I have my sonic. Open the TARDIS' door and I won't harm her any longer,” he aimed and pushed down the sonic's button to make his point clear. Rose dropped to the floor and both Jack and the Doctor rushed towards her but stopped in their actions when the Valeyards raised his sonic again.

 

“Why Trenzalore?” River asked the Valeyard curiously. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew that she should feel ashamed seeing Rose suffer and secretly enjoying it but her jealousy seemed to overwhelm her. The way the Doctor, her husband, her love looked at the dying creature in front her, crawling in dirt and blood outraged her and erased her common sense. She wanted to wipe the blonde woman out of her life. She wished deeply she had never shown up or came back. River had been so strong and understanding in the last days but seeing this immense love plastered in her Doctor's features made her almost snap. The memories from Winter Quay Hotel returned and knowing he had only ever married her out of reason fuelled her rage. Her memory had been wiped, she had been used and she wasn't loved. Not like her.

 

“Ah! Professor River Song, my future wife. Nice to see you again,” he smirked mischievously while mustering her expression. “I saw you die. I loved it! Trenzalore will become my grave, the TARDIS beholds my time stream, if I enter it I will merge with my full Time Lord counterpart and become immortal again. All hell will break lose, every universe except for one will fade. Time will bend to my will, brave new world is coming! But first things first: Doctor, open the door!”

 

“Why should I help you?” the Doctor growled.

 

“Cause your little flower won't make it much longer. I could save her life, take off the collar,” the Valeyard answered suavely.

 

“You must not!” Rose spat out, coughing blood. She had given up her efforts to stand on her own feet and staring the Time Lord directly in the face she begged, “Leave. Just leave and let us alone.”

 

“I'm not leaving without you!”

 

“Ah! Isn't that sweet,” the Valeyard stated mirthlessly while eyeing River Song. “Doesn't it upset you,Professor? He is your husband and than his little ex-girlfriend shows up, drops her children into your life and steals your man effortlessly.”

 

“What do you want from me?!” River asked annoyed.

 

“Wrong question,” he circled her curiously, the sonic always aimed at Rose and than he was in her head. Whispering into her hearts without outspoken words, _“It's rather what I could give you. Stupid other me told you his name, which unfortunately opens the dying TARDIS behind us. Rose stays in your way. Imagine, if he'd never met her, there would only be you. No annoying children, no blonde-haired rival. I want to merge all universes into one, I want to make this world a better place. You could be the one woman at my side.”_

 

River swallowed heavily, “Could you really? And you promise you'd choose me? Above everyone?”

 

“ _Just tell me my forgotten name. I'll make all your dreams come true: you'd have a childhood at your parent's side, we'll meet, you'll be queen of an entire universe. Just imagine. My name holds the power to give you all that.”_

 

“Why should I trust you?” River snapped back.

 

“ _Cause I want it so much I am willing to vow. I'll marry you again: not in an aborted time line but in the only universe that will ever be left. This will mean something, I would never be able to take it back.”_

 

“River! River!” Amy shook her daughter violently, desperate to gain back her attention. “What are you doing to her?” she demanded to know from the Valeyard.

 

“I'm only talking to her,” he smiled sweetly when River nodded.

 

“If you vow...”

 

“Oh, I swear, River Song,”

 

“What?! What did he promise you,River?” the Doctor and Amy asked simultaneously.

 

River didn't answer but stepped up to the Valeyard and kissing him passionately she let him know his forgotten name.


	10. Chapter 10

 

The Valeyard pulled reluctantly away, bursting into an insane laughter. Rose scowled at the bow-tie Doctor. The plan had never involved her survival or him turning up like some knight in shining armour to rescue her. Even worse he was now in immediate danger himself. Bad Wolf vowed to protect every Doctor at every time and every place including the Valeyard. The Valeyard killing the Doctor, going back into his own time line, erasing parts of himself from history and changing his life and the universe's fate had the potential of ripping Bad Wolf and time itself apart.

 

There were not many options left. Her death would solve the problem and the Valeyard jumping into his own time stream would only unknowingly commit suicide but she was still alive and her powers still protected the maniac. Brilliant. There was only one option left to prevent disaster and she didn't like that option. It would endanger the fragile end she had set to the time war and threaten the past as well as the future.

 

“I told you to stay away,” Rose hissed through gritted teeth. “Can't you ever listen? Stubborn alien.”

 

“Oh! Don't get all rude with our guest, my love. Not when he brings me such lovely company. What do you think of his wife, Rose?” the Valeyard chuckled darkly and turned towards River. “Brilliant! Fantastic! Molto Bene! Thank you very much River Song,you have just been elected the stupidest woman in the universe. In every universe in fact. Blimey, how could you possibly marry that plum, Doctor?” the Valeyard convulsed with laughter while turning towards the withered TARDIS' door. “That was so easy I can't believe it,” he mocked and yanked Rose roughly up. “Don't be afraid love, you are stuck with me but I recall you saying that being stuck with me ain't that bad. Forever. Oh darling, I won't leave you and we'll sort your bad habits out eventually.”

 

“But...you vowed,” River stated lamely while her brain tried to process the fact that the Valeyard would not keep a single promise.

 

“The cheated cheater,” the Doctor whispered with a dead pan stare.

 

“Oh, woman!” the Valeyard turned around spinning Rose with him. “What does it matter? You won't even exist, so don't worry. Being erased from time doesn't hurt. I made a promise towards a ghost and you just sacrificed every parallel universe to get your grip upon the Doctor. Sorry love, it's not gonna happen! And for you my sweet Rose, I hope altering time right from the start will turn you into a more loyal wife. I don't like your current tendency to say “no” to me. “Yes, Doctor” sounds better and these are in fact the only two words I ever want to hear from you. But we'll rectify that,won't we?” he was positively beaming when he opened the TARDIS, drinking in the overwhelming sight of his own time stream. “What a beauty! I only have to enter and merge with myself. Rooose! I can even erase the parallel universes from here! I just need to alter the fixed points along the way.” He clapped his hands together looking exactly like a child at Christmas.

 

“Doctor,” Rose whispered weakly towards the Valeyard, “There is something you have forgotten. Something big and important, something that happens in your future and your past. It happens right now and all the time. If you walk in there you'll destroy it.”

 

The Valeyard turned around and faced her with a severe stare, “That would be what? Just tell me for once and stop talking in riddles!”

 

“Please, time doesn't work like that. Some events have to happen at exact the perfect moment in your life else you make the wrong decision. Let go and trust me,” Rose begged once again.

 

“No! The voices calling out to me, they demand my name, they demand being healed. The universes demand a Doctor and me entering my own time line will enable me to be the Doctor this universe needs.”

 

“Don't you see your mistake!” Rose screamed in frustration, “How can you possibly know happiness if you erase the suffering? Your plan is a paradox in itself. It won't work, every universe will collapse, time will end and the cosmos will engulf itself. You are still not the Doctor. Knowing your name doesn't mean understanding it. You don't understand anything!”

 

“Stop talking! Stop ordering me about! Stop it!” losing his temper the Valeyard hit Rose in the face and broke her nose. She spat blood but managed not falling to the ground again.

 

“Release her,” the Doctor demanded. His eyes were narrowed and almost black, his clenched fists trembled from suppressed rage.

 

“Make me!” the Valeyard answered merrily and the Doctor pulled his gun, aiming it at his nemesis and the Valeyard's eyes went wide in surprise and amusement.

 

“Now that is a surprise! The Doctor using a weapon in front of his lovely companions. What about you being a moral role-model? Do you really want to shoot me? Go on! You can't do it and do you know why? Because you are not me! I am what you secretly want to be. I go as far as you would go if you wouldn't be so repressed and I see it in your eyes: you understand what I'm about to do and you would want to do it yourself. I will be one Doctor in one universe! You see that infinite potential...”

 

Bang. A shoot echoing through the TARDIS ended the Valeyard's ramble abruptly and Rose smiled in relief, forming plan E in her head. This shot was the best thing so far, fantastic in fact.

 

“No!” Both Doctors screamed in horror when Rose hit the floor, her hands pressed reflexively over the enormous gunshot wound in her lower abdomen, her face contorted between a wide grin and pain while everyone around her screamed “how” and “what” in confusion.

 

“Impeccable timing,” Rose snorted. “Perfect in fact.”

 

“How is it possible? He didn't even aim at her,he shot him...that Valeyard guy,” Amy stammered horrified and Rose laid her eyes on the red-head.

 

“I vowed to protect him. Any him. As long as I live nothing can harm either of them, time itself protects them, it finds a way. Always. I can't break my promise but my death can end this all.” She breathed in heavily before speaking to the Doctor, “You've gone too far,Doctor. I had to stop you. You tend to make the wrong choice when using a weapon. Not this time,though.” Her voice came out choked while the Doctor dropped his weapon,tears streaming down his face.

 

 

“You did this! You! Not me!” the Valeyard screamed hysterically scooping Rose up in his arms and turning towards his time stream. “I'll sort this out,I'll make it right! I'll make everything right!” He jumped without hesitation into his own past and future with Rose in his arms and landed at the one moment he desperately had tried to erase from his memory.

 

The most painful day in his life. He and Rose found themselves on Gallifrey in a worn down garden shed,looking at a wooded box with Gallifreyan writing upon it. The war Doctor had just left to meet his further incarnations in Elizabethan England, they could still feel the huoan and atron particles in the air.

 

“Gallifrey,” he whispered.

 

“Indeed,” Rose replied calmly.

 

“But it burnt, they are all gone,dead,erased.”

 

She stared deeply into his eyes, “They might be lost, not dead.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“You wanted answers-look at your future. One day you'll be given another chance to make a decision. I'll give you another chance and you'll prove to be a better man.”

 

“I remember turning down to be the King of the Meanwhiles and Neverwheres,” he told her thoughtful.

 

“Yes,you did. And you made this decision alone and it was good. But there was another decision you had to make. A choice between your planet and the whole of creation.”

 

“I used a weapon. The moment they called it. This box here-so inconsiderable.”

 

She arched an eyebrow, “Really? I don't think so.”

 

The memories came crushing back to him as she offered him glimpses of himself on Gallifrey in his ninth incarnation,the War Doctor. He witnessed himself opening the wooden box,the moment in search for a big red shiny button which would end the existence of Daleks and Time Lords alike but instead he found someone else. Facing the woman in his arms, the question evident upon his face he only managed to make a painful noise.

 

“I vowed to protect you. Even from yourself. You were blind concerning Gallifrey and the time war, oblivious to any other solution than ultimate destruction. It would take you four-hundred years to change your mind and find another way. I knew that. I saw that. I saw everything that ever was and ever could be or would be. Everything that must never be. The decision had already been made when we met. This moment in your life had gone and I decided to give it back to you,” Rose explained patiently.

 

“Why didn't you tell me?” he chocked out.

 

“I am so sorry,my love. Burning Gallifrey turned you into the man you are now. Insane, unforgiving and yet determined to save us all by burning the world around you. This man was meant to be born but when I changed your history I prevented you from becoming what you are now. I promised to watch over the darkness in you. That's why I never protested when we were left in our parallel universe. I made my choice and stayed with you, hoping....”

 

“Is there any hope left in you now?” he asked desperately.

 

“No. I failed but that doesn't matter any more,”

 

“Why?” The confusion was now evident on his face.

 

“Because you killed me. The collar, the gunshot. Bad Wolf won't protect you any longer and therefore I am allowed to show you your future because you won't get the chance to alter it now,” Rose told him cupping his face in her hands.

 

“I'm in my own time stream. I can bloody well change my whole history,” he huffed.

 

“You are part-human and when I make my last breath your age will crush down upon your human body. You'll wither rapidly.”

 

“So why are you showing me this then?”

 

“Don't you still see? You didn't murder your people,you rescued them! History has already been undone or better said it will be undone.”

 

Comprehension was finally glistening in his eyes, “So my whole existence, the hatred, the rage...all for something that never existed in the first place? But..but that is cruel! Tricking me into believing I'm a mass murderer when...how could you?!”

 

“As I explained I undid history. You still did all these things in another, aborted time line. One I have cut off. You are in fact the quintessence of a Meanwhile. The first and most powerful Meanwhile of them all. You burnt and saved Gallifrey at the same time, at exact the same moment. That moment was me. I became every moment in time when I looked into the heart of the TARDIS, I became the conscience of time itself. If I could have done anything to spare you the misery I would have done it. I tried. I failed. But I can let you know now.”

 

He swallowed heavily, “One last question? The cracks in the walls and the voices calling out for me? Who are they?”

 

“Your people. Calling out from their time lock for you to release them.”

 

“Let me guess-it's too early for them to come back?” She nodded sadly, “I am so sorry. I really am.”

 

“This is barmy!” the Valeyard exclaimed in frustration. “It's cruel, it's unfair!” He was crying, kicking the walls of the godforsaken garden shed.

 

“It was the only way,” Rose told him firmly. “I saw every time line and there was no other solution.” She squeezed his arm, “I love you and wanted to take that from your shoulders.”

 

Staring at her he let finally go of his insanity and felt relieve wash over him, “So they are fine? Other me will find them one day?”

 

Rose nodded again, “Yes. You will go back to the time war one day and save them all. You'll find a solution to rescue your people. Forgive me for what I've put you through. I really believed we could get over it another way.”

 

“Don't. It was me. All the time. Me who went too far and if I hadn't met you I would have done all these things. You are the one paying for my sins and weaknesses. When I said it wasn't fair I meant you-not me,” he paused. “But what about River?” he asked softly and Rose's eyes fluttered in confusion. “Why, what about her?”

 

“I won't get here if she doesn't die in the library and I suppose she is more than a bit cross with me right now,”he chuckled mirthlessly. “Look at me-demanding one more sacrifice.”

 

“Ah...yes. Time is still in flux and there are various options. One being her never calling for you to come there because of being cross...or her making the sacrifice despite all these recent events,” Rose told him earnestly.

 

“How come?” he couldn't help asking.

 

“She endangered the universe again today. For the second time. She altered a fixed point in time by refusing to kill you and forcing you into marriage. She won't repeat her actions,” Rose answered ruefully. “I wish I could prevent her death but there is never enough time. Not for a Time Lord and not for time either. All is running out. All comes to an end.” She sighed wiping the tears from her eyes and facing him, “I love you and I am so sorry. For all that was and ever will be and everything that never was and never will be.”

 

Making one last breath and closing her eyes Rose Tyler died in the Valeyard's arms on Gallifrey in an abandoned garden shed. His reaction to her death couldn't have been more forceful. His human body nearly collapsed under the weight of over nine-hundred years. His shoulders sunk, his skin wrinkled, force left him and breathing became as hard as competitive sports. The time stream around them collapsed, dragging him back to Trenzalore, pulling their bodies through time and space into the putrescent TARDIS and he remembered his name's true meaning at last.

 

Hitting the floor with a hard gasp he checked his vital functions. A little regeneration energy was still left in his body. Just an ounce. Hopefully, it would be enough. He grabbed the abandoned rifle, still lying close to were the time stream had been. Not paying attention to the audience he took the collar from Rose's neck and put his right hand, the full Time Lord hand, upon her heart, praying to all the Gods he never believed in, when he realised that Rose was probably the only Goddess that ever existed any ways. The conscience of time. Dead. It must not be. He aimed the weapon at his single human heart and pulled the trigger, hoping that the little regeneration energy in his fully Gallifreyan hand would bring her back to life. He would never find out but he had to try at least.

 

 

 

 


	11. Chapter 11

The Daleks didn't exterminate her. The Cyberman didn't upgrade her. It had not been a Slitheen or a Racnoss or a lost and confused Isolus. It had not been the beast from the pit.

 

Or perhaps it had been the beast from the pit? After all he was called the Oncoming Storm, the Bringer of Darkness, the Mighty Warrior, Ka Faraq Gatri, the Destroyer of Worlds for a reason. Whole civilisations lived in fear of him and trembled at the mention of his name – the beast from the pit, that was him.

 

He had left her behind in a parallel world with a sideways regeneration of himself where she was meant to be safe, living a fantastic life with her family and a human Doctor to love her. He had only handed her over to the darkness and madness in him and finally it had been him who had pulled the trigger to shoot her. It might have been unintentionally but still it had been his finger. As if to remember him never to use a weapon. Whenever he got close one, no good came out of it. Only destruction and death for those he wanted to protect so desperately.

 

The TARDIS around the time travellers dissipated and faded to dust, the Valeyard's body dissolved and crumbled under the weight of a millennia and Trenzalore's harsh wind cut mercilessly into their faces. The Doctor could hear his companion's voices calling out for him, asking questions. He could hear their concern and worry but the sounds seemed to be muffled, as if he was standing under water. His impressive Time Lord brain was only focused on the fact of Rose Tyler's death. Her tiny, bony, shattered body lay before him in the dust, her blood soaking the sand and her bruised face was still the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his long life.

 

The universe was safe again, his companions were safe again and the Doctor was safe again. More than safe: Trenzalore would no longer be his grave, his future was once again uncertain, dragging him forwards into....whatever. He didn't care. He didn't want to move on any longer, only wanted to collapse in the sand right here at her side, never leaving her again. She was only one tiny,little Rose Tyler and her sacrifice had made the lives of billions of creatures possible but it was still not fair, it was not right. He should be the one lying there in the sand, unseeing eyes locked unto heaven.

 

There was no comfort in knowing that his sons were aboard the TARDIS. What should he tell them? “I have found your mother but I have unfortunately shot her.” He would call himself a lucky sod if they'd only start hating him and rightly so.

 

The Time Lord's body convulsed and clenched in pain as he emptied his stomach. He vomited and vomited as long as there was nothing left to spit out and he slumped on the ground next to her lifeless body. Not caring about dignity any more he gathered her in his arms, trying to suppress an epic cry of pain. Still every slightly telepathic creature in the galaxy sensed utter despair and terror for a split second, hearing a male voice calling out for a flower and then the tide broke: the Doctor was screaming on top of his lungs, accusing the universe, letting out his entire pain.

 

His companions tried to shield their ears in vein, the scream hit them strait to the core, the sound was unbearable, causing complete terror and agony. Despite Amy's and Rory's pleas and Captain Jack's attempts to gain the Doctor's attention he wouldn't stop. The high pitched scream would soon cause serious harm to the two humans among his entourage but he was unable to care or to stop at the moment, he couldn't force his mouth shut.

 

The Time Lord's scream cut through Rose Tyler's consciousness, causing a head-ache which felt like a knife cutting through her brain. She tried to open her mouth, to move away, everything inside her begged him to stop, to notice her being alive, to stop hurting her finally but he kept yelling.

 

Opening her eyes she took in the scenery: there were the Doctor's two human companions, strangers, people she had never seen before, his wife,radiating jealousy, fear and possessiveness and the Doctor. The Valeyard had died to save her, she had broken her promise and he was gone. Despite all the things he had done she felt numb, empty and full of grief. And there was the new,new,new Doctor, familiar and strange at the same time. Now she was ultimately overstrained by the situation. Her psychological and physical state after months of torture made it impossible for her to deal with a bunch of unknown. She just couldn't take it any more, she only wanted to break down and sleep.

 

Finally the Doctor noticed that she had woken up and stared at her – unbelieving, terrified, relieved and there was something else in his face: something inside him had snapped when he believed her dead and his expressions showed the same madness the Valeyard had shown her all these years. Not trusting his own eyes he lifted his sonic screwdriver, ready to give her a quick scan and utter terror flooded her thoughts. The Valeyard had taught her to fear the sonic, the sound alone caused her agony and she wanted to get away from the terrifying buzzing sound. She flinched, tried to move but she was too weak and he kept moving closer despite her wide open, horrified eyes.

 

A big, rough hand grabbed the Doctor's collar and yanked him fiercely backwards and a harsh northern voice ordered, “Stop it!”

 

The Time Lord stared agape at the intruder, his eyes widened in surprise “You? What are you doing here?”

 

Glaring daggers the other man answered sarcastically, “I regenerated into an idiot. Did all my brain power go into growing that ridiculous floppy hair?”

 

The Doctor narrowed his eyes, “I repeat: what are you doing here?”

 

“Isn't that obvious?” he scowled. “I'm doing what you should be doing. Rose needs a Doctor but instead you are _hurting_ _her._ ”

 

Amy examined the unknown man: he was tall with dark, short-cropped hair, piercing blues eyes, big ears and a prominent nose and was dressed in tight black jeans, a green jumper and a black leather jacket. Everything about him radiated protectiveness, anger and strength.

 

He spoke again, arms crossed above his chest “ I heard you screaming her name and it hurt her. The whole galaxy must have heard you calling out her name.”

 

The Doctor swallowed heavily while eyeing his previous incarnation warily, “That still doesn't explain your presence. You mustn't be here,your are crossing your own time line.”

 

“I begged you to stop-he heard me,you didn't,” a weak, tired voice answered and both Doctors turned in unison gasping out “Rose!”.

 

“But...but...”the Doctor stuttered relieved, “You are alive. My God, Rose you are really alive!”

 

The leather-clad Doctor shoved his future incarnation aside and rushed at her side, kneeling down next to her. Rose finally managed to open her eyes and the previous Doctor stumbled back at her sight. Her eyes were gold-freckled, shining brighter and brighter as her powers returned slowly. Still she wasn't able to lift her weight from the ground. Turning around and glaring furiously at his future self the ninth Doctor asked, “What have we done to her? What happened?”

 

“Something terrible,”was the only reply Eleven could come up with, knowing he couldn't,no, mustn't tell his previous self any of the recent events, else the time lines would again be on jeopardy.

 

Rose threw her arms around the Doctor's neck, allowing herself to sob without restraint. She cried into his jumper, hands fisted in his leather jacket, inhaling her first Doctor's scent, a scent she had always connected with safety and the carefree days of her youth. Everything had been a wonderful adventure when she had started travelling with the Doctor and then Jack had joined them. Charming, carefree, promiscuous Jack. It had all been a big party, with days when everybody lived and Glen Miller's music playing in the console room while they were dancing. Rose clung to her first Doctor, letting the precious memories wash away the horrors of the last years.

 

Nine stared accusingly at Eleven, “You broke my promise, didn't you? She was meant to be safe. I vowed to protect her! How could you!”

 

“It wasn't you. It was me. My choice,” Rose sobbed desperately, “Thank you for coming. Hearing you, him scream was unbearable.” Finally, she regained her composure and staring at the Doctor she asked, “Where are Ty and Jamie?” Of course the Doctor couldn't answer her question as he didn't even know them yet. Seeking for help he looked at Jack who answered soothingly, “Your boys are fine, Rose. They are in the TARDIS, nothing and no one can harm them. I promise.”

 

“Jack!” Rose only now noticed his presence and started sobbing again. “You are here! I thought I would never see you again.”

 

“I'm right here Rosie. Came to take you home and back to your boys. Everything will be all right,okay?” Jack tried to sooth her.

 

Nine gave her a bright grin, “Oh Rose! You have children? That is fantastic!”

 

Giving him a warm smile she corrected, “ _We_ have children,” When she saw his dumbstruck face she added, “ But make sure to suppress that memory.” 

 

“Oh,Rose!” he sighed and kissing her forehead he lifted her up from the ground. “We should get you into the TARDIS, shouldn't we?” he told her conversationally but his body was tensed and his jaw clenched.

 

“Don't leave me!” Rose begged, suddenly terror stricken again.

 

“I'll be with you. Future me will take care of you,” he answered firmly. “Won't you?” he addressed Eleven, giving him his best oncoming storm glare.

 

Still looking at Eleven and walking towards the TARDIS he kept talking to Rose, “That ridiculous college-professor is still me. Same man, same feelings. Don't ever forget that, Rose. But I have to admit that I sometimes regenerate into an idiot.” Rose chuckled weakly at the last statement.

 

They reached the TARDIS much too soon, “Rose, I have to go back to you, your younger self. You apes sleep half of your life away. My TARDIS is waiting nearby.”

 

Rose tried to swat his arm playfully but couldn't lift her hand high enough, “Oi! I'm not a stupid ape. Maybe stupid, but definitely no longer an ape.”

 

“I'm sorry. You have never been a stupid ape, always my Rose,” he excused sadly.

 

“Can't you stay a bit longer?” Rose asked hopeful.

 

“I can't. You'll wake up and come looking for me eventually. Remember? You are always wandering off and then we'll have a massive paradox with future and past Roses, Doctors and TARDISES. We can't risk that.”

 

He put her gently on the ground and turned towards his future self for a last time, “Pull yourself together! You can't rely on your past to show up and set you straight. Now tell me, future Doctor: what are you going to do?”

 

Elven swallowed heavily, “Everything she wants me to do. And I'm done with leaving her. Should she decide to stay with me I will never let her go again, never send her away again.” He now addressed her directly, “Rose,I love you. I know I'll never be the man you deserve but I'll try to be better and I won't leave you behind again.”

 

Nine arched an eyebrow, “Not even for her own safety?”

 

Eleven chuckled but his eyes were dark and remorseful, “She's Rose. You'll be me in about 400 years and you will have learned something about our precious girl by then. Until then we will make massive mistakes. Terrible mistakes.”

 

“400 years? Don't ever dare to put that gift at stake again” Nine sighed and Eleven shook his head solemnly when his counterpart left for his TARDIS, returning to a younger, happier Rose. Elven hold out his hand for Rose, waiting for her to take it and allowing him to bring her into the TARDIS. Staring at his face she looked for the man who once vowed to protect the universe, to never give up or turn to violence. He was still there, the man she loved and would always love but too much had happened. He had moved on, gotten married and now she felt like an intruder, the woman who ruined another women's marriage. Never had Rose wanted cause pain or harm, not to River Song or any one else.

 

“Time to go home!” Eleven announced cheerfully but his smile faded when he saw Rose's tensed face. She was confronted with a new,new,new Doctor and two companions she had never seen before. On top of all that she could sense River Song's troubled emotions. How would she deal with the Doctor's wife? So many strange faces and she was so tired, so worn out and so not ready to handle it all but her concerns shattered when the TARDIS' door flung open and Ty and Jamie stormed out to embrace their mother.

 

Forgetting the pain,loss and emptiness Rose enjoyed having her sons finally back and she gathered hope. However her future would be, her boys would have a mother.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	12. Chapter 12

Rose spent the next hours in a healing coma. She awoke in a canopy bed big enough for six people. Little Jamie was sleeping in her lap and Ty was lying on a couch,his eyes locked onto a huge flat-screen TV.

 

She took her time and enjoyed having her children back. Never would she had dared to hope seeing them ever again under these circumstances:alive,safe and aboard the TARDIS. She had been absolutely sure to die and now she felt almost fine. Only a throbbing head-ache and her raw neck remembered her of the horrors of the past months and of course the pain. She had failed regarding the Valeyard and he had died. Her inability to make him better had costed him his life and once again had she been forced to say farewell to a incarnation of the Doctor.

 

Her presence aboard the TARDIS would cause a lot of tension and she wasn't sure how to face River. Never had it been her intention to intrude her marriage or to make her feel uncomfortable. And of course there was the Doctor. She would meet him, this new,new,new Doctor and she felt sick about it. How often would she have to tell him goodbye?

 

“Mum!” Ty's excited cry ripped Rose from her reverie. “You are awake!” The boy embraced his mother with a sob. “Mummy I was so scared. I thought I'd never see you again...”

 

“I'm fine Ty. I'm here and we'll sort everything out,” Rose replied with more confidence she actually felt. Jamie started telling her about everything they had been through in the last days, playing chess with Mickey and playing hide and seek with uncle Jack and about getting to know Daddy. Rose was amazed how both boys obviously accepted the Time Lord as their father and she started wondering how this sort of patch-work family would work out. Neither the boys nor the Doctor would give each other up.

 

Jamie's babble stopped after a while and Ty looked at his mother with a solemn expression. “Mum...there is something you need to know. Something I did to River because I thought it was the right thing to do but it really wasn't. I wiped her memory.” Rose sighed when Ty finished explaining what he had done to preserve established events and time lines. Now it was official: her wish to keep her boys safe and intruding the Doctor's life had been a mistake. Walking into the bathroom Rose tried to figure out how to make it up for River.

 

She stared at her reflection in the mirror and a pale, thin woman stared back. Her hair was still stiff from blood and there were thick purple rings under her eyes. That would be remedied with a hot bath. The big necklace-shaped scar around her neck on the other hand would stay permanently and remember her what the Valeyard had done to her, what she had not been able to do for him. Looking at the scar and thinking about what Ty had done to River made her sure that she wasn't good for the Doctor. Only a cause of pain. He still lived with the knowledge of having killed his people, of having burned his entire planet and he wouldn't learn the truth for another century. She should leave before causing more pain to these people and she hated herself a bit for all the things she had done and for what she wanted to do but couldn't. Time worked in a cruel way and she had no power bending it to her own will, she could only look for the best way to sort things out. But even that wasn't good enough sometimes.

 

Dressed in a high-collared white blouse which covered the prominent scar quite nicely, tight black pants and a brown leather jacket Rose made her way into the kitchen. Putting things off longer wouldn't make it better. The Doctor's companions would want to have answers to their questions and she should leave. Really, really quickly.

 

“Rosie!” Captain Jack walked into the kitchen when Rose filled her cup with fresh brewed tea and swept her up into a bone crushing hug. “You have no idea how I've missed you,girl.” Jack added sincerely and without the usual flirting.“I'm so happy you're finally awake. The designated driver of this ship is totally bonkers since you're back and the TARDIS wouldn't let him into you room. We're just floating in the vortex, he's afraid you'll disappear if we land,”Jack explained chuckling.

 

Rose sighed sadly, “The TARDIS must know I'm no good for him.”

 

He frowned.“What's that nonsense supposed to mean,Rosie? That alien git is useless without you. He needs you. The question is rather what you need. He handed you over to a psychopath and you almost died. The TARDIS protects you,not him.”

 

Shaking her head firmly she contradicted, “Everything what happened was my choice. Back at the Game Station I made my decision and that involved the Valeyard and I disappointed the Doctor. I was supposed to watch over him, make him better and he died. I bring pain,Jack. You should know best of all people. Impossible, immortal Jack. What have I done to you?”

 

“Oh Rose....stop that nonsense. You and the Doctor are quite a pair. Always that guilt and self-loathing. He tries to make things right with you and keep you safe and you end up getting tortured and you seriously blame yourself for it? You tell me you are no good? Rosie, you brought me back to life and I was grateful for it. Maybe not always but I certainly don't want to be dead.”

 

“There's also River. How am I gonna make it up to her? I'm just an intruder here.”

 

“Make it up to her? Rose she almost sacrificed the universe and told that nutter the Doctor's name. Stop blaming yourself and care for yourself. You didn't intrude anything!”

 

Rose bit back a sob and Jack sighed dramatically, “You know what makes me cry? We are stuck on a space ship and I have only seen two crew-members naked. One of them a long time ago. BUT I have finally done something I always wanted to do.” Jack waggled his eyebrows and announced proudly, “I have finally shagged a Time Lord! Well...part Time Lord but I'm not known to be picky.”

 

Rose's eyes flared golden and Jack backed up instinctively, “You pulled Ty?! Jack if he comes running to me sobbing I'll toss you into a super nova!”

 

“What?! I'd never pull your son! Wait....do I have chances? Right. Sorry. Wrong question. I'm talking about River.”

 

“Who am I to miss out on such a chance? Handsome time travellers-never could stay away from them.” River stepped into the kitchen, blocking the exit strategically and facing Rose she said, “I want to talk to you. Would you leave us alone, Jack?”

 

“Of course gorgeous. But play nicely,” Jack winked and walked past River.

 

“I'm sorry,” both women started in unison and stared at each other, suddenly dumbstruck.

 

“I won't stay here, River,” Rose announced finally, breaking the silence and the other woman looked at her in surprise. “I wasn't meant to survive the last days. My death was almost fixed...I knew it would happen since I looked into the heart of the TARDIS...I just couldn't let Ty die and let Jamie watch it happen. The Doctor and you should have stayed away from me.”

 

River snorted, “As if he would ever stay away from trouble. The Doctor won't let you leave him. He was very clear on that. He can't let you go again. Not ever.”

 

“He has you. I'm his past,” Rose told her firmly.

 

“Past?! Darling he gives you private-lessons. He goes to your sixteen year old self and helps you with your homework. You have always been a part of his life and you'll always be. He never lied to me about that. I told the Valeyard the Doctor's name to get rid of you. I only realised when it was too late what I had done and the Doctor is not willing to forgive me.” “Or anyone else on this ship,” she added dryly.

 

“You are his wife and you'll sort this out. Together.”

 

“See-that's where you are wrong,” River laughed humourlessly. “We are married because the universe was about to collapse but his real wife-that's you. He made that very clear in the past days.”

 

“I know what you have been through, River. I saw your life a long time ago. A self-fulfilling paradox. You two meet in the wrong order.”

 

“You saw my life? Then you must know that my time is running out. I can feel it in the way he acts with me. I'll meet him once again, won't I? A Doctor so young he hasn't even met me, doesn't know who I am and I'll have to rescue him else I'll never be even born.”

 

“Or you could break free of the paradox,” Rose suggested carefully.

 

“But that's impossible.”

 

“River,why don't you travel with him?”

 

“I'm bound to him any ways and I'll eventually die for him. Why should I live aboard the TARDIS? There is so much to do and to see before it ends. This ship isn't big enough for two psychopaths.”

 

“I could break the paradox for you, River. But you'll have to help me leave the TARDIS.”

 

“As if you couldn't leave the TARDIS whenever you want to,” River snorted.

 

“See-that's where you are wrong. Who do you think I am?” Rose asked her curiously.

 

“He calls you the Bad Wolf or the Golden Goddess...or the conscience of time,” River answered.

 

“If I am the conscience of time and the Doctor is the Lord of Time then how much freedom do you think I have,River?”

 

“You want your freedom back?”

 

“No. I made my promise a long time ago and I'll keep it. But I want to give you what I gave up by choice. The paradox you are trapped in wasn't your choice and I have the power to break you free.”

 

“You'd really do that for me? I could be free?”

 

“Yes, River.”

 

“Well...then I'll land the TARDIS. Have you ever been to the Library planet? Got a message on my psychic paper just an hour ago to meet my team there. I'll just leave the Doctor a message to tell him what I'm up to.”

 

 


	13. Chapter 13

"Sweetie!" River Song's saccharine sweet voice cut through his mind, adding an extra pierce to his terrible head-ache.

How long had he been out? He remembered River coming to him with a cup of tea and the wish to talk to him. After her little stunt at Trenzalore he had been avoiding her and punished her with stubborn silence. Another not-so-fine moment in his long life.

The tea had obviously knocked him out. Great marriage. Feeling his anger flare up he shouted at her. "You _poisoned_ me!" The little whine in his voice made sure she understood the accusation but she only made a dismissive gesture with her hand and smiled brightly.

"Not so bad compared to what you did to me." Her tone was light first but then she narrowed her eyes and almost whispered. "You _killed_ me."

"What are you on about woman? You look perfectly alive." His reply was flat and unfriendly. Finally really looking at her he noticed her wearing a space-suit. Now, that brought memories back. Common memories and memories of her future as well. "Where are you going,River?"

"I'm not going. I'm coming. No thanks to you." She winked and smiled flirtatiously and he got the innuendo.

Realisation settled into his brilliant brain, "You have been on the Library-planet." It wasn't a question but a statement and her smile disappeared entirely.

River looked upset, outraged, hurt and betrayed. "Four-hundred years. You had four-hundred years to figure it out. I changed a fixed-point in time for you. I got abducted and brain-washed. I never had the chance to really be with my parents. You let your telepathic son alter my memory. You are running around this universe through time and space, trying to save them all. Well...every one except me obviously."

There was silence before she spat out, "I want the divorce."

The Doctor only nodded. He stared down at his feet when he spoke again. "How did you survive? And how come I'm..."

"Not fading from time?" River finished the sentence for him. "You are centuries old but obviously you still don't understand anything about time. The library was not fixed. It didn't happen to me yet."

"It happened to me. You know I can't change my own time-line." The Doctor's voice was soft, apologetically and full of guilt.

"Don't! Just don't. There wasn't a body. You never found my corpse."

"Does that make a difference?"

"What's wrong with you?! That makes all the difference you need!"

"River,please. As you pointed out earlier: I had four-hundred years and still I didn't find a way to save you. Tell me."

She sucked in air through gritted teeth, "So simple. A well timed vortex-manipulator. The explosion went off and I got teleported to the TARDIS."

"Oh...well. I'm glad it worked." He really was. Glad, relieved and for once not guilty. There was for once not another name on the list of people who had died for his own sake. _Then that's your punishment, you live._ Who had said that about him? He couldn't remember but the words seemed important.

When River spoke again her tone was lighter, almost conciliatory. "Regarding your driving skills I shouldn't be surprised this solution never occurred to you." She snorted mirthlessly.

"Oi!" He huffed. "I'm a brilliant driver!"

River rolled her eyes. "If you say so. Gladly your little Rosie is the conscience of time. Took her three seconds of tinkering with my vortex-manipulator and "bang" I'm back at the TARDIS and your younger self is well off."

The Doctor's mouth was agape and he was at loss for words. Swallowing heavily he started forming excuses but River cut him off.

"I don't want to hear your excuses. We'll meet again I suppose. You, me, Rose, Jack, we are the closest thing to a God this universe has to offer. None of us is a villain but our weaknesses affect billions of lives. I'm not an exception: telling the Valeyard your name out of jealousy could have had terrible consequences. I see that now and I am sorry. I loved you so much but unlike Rose I can move on from you."

"Where will you go?" The Time Lord asked silently.

"Oh...Torchwood sounds like fun. Jack could need a little help on Earth and he can help me too. I so many ways." River smiled dreamily, leaving little to the imagination which specific help from Jack she had in mind.

"Suppose the Captain gets my girl after all." Both broke out in laughter. When they had finally calmed down River stripped off her space-suit and gave him a little peck on the cheek.

"See you, Time Lord." River left the TARDIS and walked into the bright sunlight of Cardiff. The Doctor smiled when he watched her leaving. It was a good day. He had always loved River but not the way she had loved him. It had not been this all-engulfing romantic love but a fascination for the puzzle and mystery surrounding the archaeologist River Song and now the paradox was broken. River would live now and one day die – but hopefully not for him and definitely not in a library surrounded by the Vashta Nerada. Her mind would never be trapped in a computer system. Yes, a good day. He would see her again-as soon as she needed him. Melody Pond would always find a way to call the last renegade Time Lord in existence whenever she needed help with something.

Strolling towards the console-room he noticed something very alarming: his ship was too silent. There was no one aboard. Had they all left without saying goodbye? The feeling was more than just a little unpleasant. The Doctor was reminded of the day he had left Rose with the Valeyard on a solemn beach in Norway and losing everyone doing so. Was it happening all over again?

To his great relief the TARDIS door opened and Ty came rushing in with Jamie in tow. "Hey dad!" The boy propped down on the jump-seat and looked expectantly at the Time Lord. "Mum says it's okay if we make a trip with you. There's no Barcelona in the parallel universe and Jamie wants to see blue dogs with no-noses."

"Right! Barcelona -have to make sure the family is happy after all. Where's Rose? And the others?" The Doctor was practically buzzing with happiness.

"Ah-yeah. Uncle Mickey and aunt Martha are back in N.Y. Do you know that River is flying the TARDIS smoother than you? Any ways-we have to visit soon for Thanksgiving. I apologised to River and she forgave me. She's off with uncle Jack and I really don't wanna know what they are up to." Ty pulled a face and shivered dramatically. "Dad-you should see them together. You'd think the air is on fire. Amy and Rory are back in Leadworth. Amy is a bit upset with you but she said she'd throttle you if we don't come back for Christmas. Everything considered I think Amy is happy that River will stay on Earth for a while in the same time with her."

"Great...great. Happy ends. Just what I like best. But where's Rose? Your mother?" He sounded more impatiently than he had intended to.

"Woah dad. No need to get all snappy with me. Mum has gone back in time to see grandma. Don't worry: she'll only watch from a distance. She said she learned her lesson."

The Doctor's face fell. "What happened to Pete and Jackie?" He asked softly.

"They got caught when the Sontarans tried to invade London six years ago. Mum and the Valeyard handled them but it was too late for granny and gramps." Ty sighed, "At least he had some lucid moments."

Absent mindedly and avoiding his son's gaze the Doctor fussed needlessly with the console.

"Can we go now, dad?" Ty asked.

"Is Rose not coming?"

"Oh...she didn't tell you. Well, I certainly can't blame mum. She won't come travelling with you unless you're in trouble. And I mean life-threatening trouble."

"What?! Why?" He stuttered like an idiot but couldn't care less right now.

"She said she couldn't bare being left behind by you once more."

"Why would I leave her?!" His voice shrieked undignified and he was unable to cover the panic in his tone.

"Oh yes-why? As if you didn't do it before." Ty sounded amused but underneath he was sarcastic and upset.

The Doctor smoothed his hair, adjusted the bow-tie and looked his son straight into his eyes. "Where and when is your mother? I'm not going to give her up. Unless you don't fancy time-hopping around the Powell-Estate for the next ten years..."

"Dad! Spare your oncoming storm bullocks for the Daleks! I'm not some human companion of yours and if you keep this up I'll go back to uncle Jack right now. Mum will have no problem finding us!" Ty was now standing upright, his face flushed, fists clenched and he was effectively staring down his father.

"Right. Sorry Ty." He closed his eyes and wiped his face, suppressing the urge to cry. When he spoke again his voice almost broke. "I dreamt of this day. So often. When I would have her back. You should have seen your mother all those years ago when she came back. We where on a empty street and the world was ending but all I could see was her smile. Brighter than all the stars and super-novas I have ever seen. And I started running: faster and faster...Got shot by a Dalek and did what I always do:I messed up." He paused. "Barcelona" It sounded like a whisper or maybe like a prayer?

"Dad? Before we go to Barcelona...I suppose we could accidentally land in 2005 London? On the fourth of April maybe? You know...the TARDIS always had a mind of her own."

The Doctor smirked. "Your mother knows I'm a lousy driver. Ty? Does your mum like the bow-tie or should I change?"

It took him hours to find Rose. Finally he spotted her on the swing at the Estate. He walked over and took seat on the swing next to her and waited for her to look at him.

"Nice frock," Rose remarked after what felt like eternity.

"Ty told me you weren't quite fond of the tweed."

"You changed for me?"

"Hm...you always liked the leather-jacket. We could get another one if you like. Or a clowns-costume. I honestly don't care...though I'd be eternally grateful if you wouldn't force me to wear multi-coloured stuff. Had that in my sixth-body." He wrinkled his nose.

"The frock is nice. Suits you." She tilted her head and took his form in. Suddenly he felt very shy, being scrutinized like this and all he wanted was to pass the exam.

"And the bow-tie?"

"As long as you don't put on a tux with it..." Rose almost grinned and he dared to gather some hope.

"Bad things happen when I'm wearing a tuxedo." He smiled sadly,lost in memories. "Rose. Please come home." His voice was pleading, begging, lacking the usual arrogance of a Time Lord.

"I'm at home. At least I was at home here for a long time." She still avoided looking at him and he hopped from the swing and knelt down before her.

"Come with me? Come back into the TARDIS? Please." She had reduced him to a beggar.

She didn't reply but looked over his shoulder towards the place where she used to live with Jackie. Following her stare he caught a glimpse of a younger version of himself in tweed-jacket and a green bow-tie.

"You were my tutor when I was sixteen." It wasn't a question.

"Fat chances Jack is sitting in a bush here as well." He joked and she raised questioningly an eyebrow. "He watched over you when you were younger. Poor Jimmy Stone...remember when he beat you up? He first run into Jack and then into me."

"I can't travel with you any more."

"Why? Ty and Jamie are waiting for me to take them to Barcelona. We are almost complete. Come with me. With _us_."

"You'll leave again."

"Never." He shook his head firmly.

"It's domestic isn't it? Being married and then your ex shows up and the kids." She snorted. "You'll feel like running soon enough. You'll leave us behind for our own sake, the sake of some planet, the entire universe. Chose something."

"I'm done running from you. Giving you up nearly broke me. Don't make me walk away from you again."

"I'm not good for you. Don't you see what happened to the Valeyard? Or to you after we have been separated? Don't you remember becoming the Time Lord Victorious?"

"You weren't around to stop me. I need you-obviously."

"No. You need to move on."

"You are right. I need to move on with _you_ , Ty and Jamie. Come with us to Barcelona. Dogs with no-noses and afterwards we'll finally visit Elvis."

"You'll leave me again and I can't take it once more."

"I came back. You came back before and now it was my turn. I can't guarantee the universe won't try to separate us again but I guarantee we'll find each other again and again." He had managed to entwine their hands and to make her look at him.

They where silent and he was waiting for her to make a move. His back and knees hurt from kneeling before her in the sand of the playground but he would stay there without complaints for as long as she wanted him to.

At last she gave him her trademark grin with her tongue caught between her teeth and pulling him up she asked teasingly, "I thought you'd never ask anyone more than once to travel with you?"

"I asked you twice when we first met. I won't stop asking until you give in." He waggled his fingers. "Come with me?"

"Yes."


	14. Chapter 14

“Clom?! CLOM! You landed us on CLOM?!” Rose sounded, to put it nicely, upset. Her eyes were blazing, her nostrils flared and her fists were slightly clenched.

 

The Time Lord flinched and held his hands up in submission. “Teensy-weensy, timey-whimey miscalculation. The dimensional flux-compensator interacted with the gravity-stabilizator due to solar-flares.”

 

“We.are.on.Clom,”Rose repeated, punctuating every word and giving him a deadpan stare. “With my little boy Jamie,” she added and her voice did not held the slightest bit of amusement.

 

“Nothing bad will happen. We'll just walk back to the TARDIS,” he tried to defend himself weakly.

 

“We are _both_ here. I'm sure the planet will explode any second.” Rose shrugged his demur off and stared into the landscape with deprecation.

 

“What's wrong with Clom?” Ty asked curiously while stepping next to his mother. He couldn't see anything threatening. The planet seemed dull and boring and he didn't get why his mother was so furious.

 

“Monsters like the Abzerbalof,” Rose hissed, “that's what's wrong with Clom.”

 

“Ah! You mean the story in which the boy had a relationship with a cobblestone in the end? That Elton guy who scared granny?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“They are not monsters but...,” the Doctor wanted to start giving an explanation on the inhabitants of Clom when Jamie tugged his mother's coat and Rose decided to ignore the Time Lord.

 

“Mummy, can I have a talking cobblestone too?” Jamie asked with childish innocence.

 

“Darling, I told you the cobblestone was a girl before. We don't turn people into cobblestones,” Rose replied and took her youngest boy's hand in a tight grip.

 

“I wonder what it's like to be a stone....it must get very boring to lie around all day and be forever dependant on someone's care,” Ty mused.

 

“Sounds just like you when you were fourteen,” Rose replied with a cheeky grin.

 

“Oi,mum! I wasn't _that_ lazy,” Ty shot back.

 

“Yes, and your father is an excellent driver.” Rose rolled her eyes and Ty and the Doctor were about to retort when they all heard a gun-shot.

 

A humanoid life-form was running over the hills in the distance, followed by something akin to a slug. The creature behind the humanoid was green and moved by rolling over it's central point and despite the fact that it had no arms, it was able to shoot a gun. The humanoid came closer and could now be identified as a blonde-haired girl. She was wearing green military pants, a black shirt and solid boots and was obviously running for her life.

 

“That thing will speed up when they'll be running downhill,” Ty pointed out and Rose sighed.

 

“Any ideas, Doctor?” She asked and he swallowed, the gears in his brain were already turning, calculating possibilities, the monster's speed, the girl's speed and he hated to admit it, but there wasn't much he could do. He gestured frantically towards her, pointing at the TARDIS in the distance while he started storming off towards her.

 

“Oh my...dad really has a thing for damsels in distress, hasn't he?” Ty commented sarcastically. He cleared his throat, “Mum, we need to do something. That thing is gonna kill her and dad too. Does he never have a plan when someone needs help?”

 

“That's your father-acts first and thinks later. There is really not much we can do for the girl. She's too far away.”

 

“You could freeze time around the monster?”

 

Rose growled, “Do you know how much energy I need to do this? I'll pass out.”

 

“As if dad wouldn't be _delighted_ if he'd get the chance to carry you around again.”

 

Rose snorted, “He would-but _I_ really don't fancy the damsel in distress part. Let's see if he has a plan after all...nope....Ty? You gonna catch me when I pass out, won't you?”

 

“Won't be necessary,” Ty smirked, “dad will turn around immediately and catch you in time. Will make his day.”

 

Rose and Ty barked out in laughter and she started gathering energy. Soon the air around her was buzzing and she was bathed in golden light, her eyes glowed ethereally and she focused on the gigantic slug in the distance. The creature froze to the spot while it fired off a shot with it's rifle. The bullet stopped and dropped to the ground only inches from the girl.

 

As by Ty predicted the Doctor stared agape and surprised at the time-frozen creature, turned on his heels and run back to his glowing girl. Rose focused again and moved the creature in space as well so they would be undisturbed by it for the next ten minutes.

 

Rose closed her eyes and felt the weakness conquer her body, her lips curled into a satisfied smile when the Time Lord wrapped his arms around her waist. “What the hell did you do?” he asked her appalled.

 

“I'm not called the golden goddess for nothing,” she retorted lightly when she regained control over her body. “Is the girl alright?”

 

“Wow...what are you?” the girl had finally made her way to the little group and stared astonished at the blonde woman. “Thank you. That thing wanted to eat me.”

 

If the Time Lord had been appalled by Rose's little trick before he was now about to faint. “J-j-j-Jenny,”he stuttered out.

 

“How come you know my name?” She frowned, “have we met?”

 

“Jenny,” he repeated with awe, tears glistening in his eyes. “My Jenny. I thought you were dead.”

 

“I'm sorry mister, but I don't know you.” Jenny stepped back, eyeing the man in the old-fashioned frock suspiciously.

Straightening himself and flipping back his hair he looked deeply into her eyes. “Jenny,it's me. The Doctor. I regenerated.”

 

Ty tugged his father's sleeve. “Dad, who is she?”

 

“That's Jenny. My daughter,” he replied fondly and Ty grinned.

 

“I hope you have a brilliant explanation for mum.”

 

 

 

 


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pure fluff and another reunion-enjoy :)

Four months relative time travelling with Rose and three children (blimey,how did that happen?!) later, the Doctor found himself ready to face his greatest threat: family dinner.

 

The TARDIS landed with her usual wheezing sound in Martha's and Mickey's roof garden in the middle of New York, on time for Thanksgiving.

 

Mickey scowled at the Doctor for ruining the tomatoes but forget immediately about the plants when Rose and the kids descended the space-ship.

 

“Blimey, Rose! I'd have never thought you'd be in such good shape again! Look at you, babe! Last time I saw you beaming like that and so healthy... Must have been the Christmas he became pinstripes,” Mickey laughed out incredulously.

 

“You put it as if I had put her through endless misery.” The Doctor pouted and Mickey arched an eyebrow. “Right,” he winced.

 

“Could we please come in?,” Rose asked eventually, “Jenny is freezing.”

 

“Right, sorry babe,” Mickey replied and ushered them inside. “Who's Jenny?”

 

“His daughter,” Rose told him smiling.

 

“You're what?!” Mickey exclaimed while Ty, Jenny and the Doctor started simultaneously explaining how Jenny had been “born”. Suffice to say, Mickey didn't get it entirely, at least they could convince him that the Doctor didn't deserve regenerating.

 

Martha hadn't really expected the Doctor and Rose to show up but was delighted that she would now finally get to know the mysterious blonde who had been haunting her during her entire travels with the Doctor.

 

While Mickey showed Rose and Jamie around, the Doctor helped Martha preparing dinner. “I let you know, I have been taught cooking in 18th century France. Of course I was brilliant,” he preened.

 

He didn't hear Ty taking off with the TARDIS in the meantime.

 

Suddenly, the air was filled with Huon-particles when River, Jack and Ianto appeared in the living-room. River looked stunning in a long red evening-gown and breakneck high-heels. Jack and Ianto hung on her arms like accessories. “Sweetie!” River greeted the Doctor merrily, “you need to adjust my Vortex Manipulator, Ianto can't handle travelling with that thing.” To underline her words Ianto made a run towards the loo where he threw up soundly. “See?”

 

“Ia-Ia-Ianto?” the Doctor sputtered.

 

“Not our Ianto. Parallel Ianto,” Jack clarified with a bright toothy grin.

 

“How did you travel to another universe!?” the Doctor bit out.

 

“Cause I gave him a dimension-whistle!” Rose hollered from the roof-garden where Ty just landed with a red-headed woman in tow.

 

“This man can't be trusted with a Vortex Manipulator and you give him a device to cross dimensions?!” an annoyed Time Lord chided.

 

“Oh no, sweetie! You don't get a say in this! You have your Barbie back and it's only fair I get two sexy time-boys.” She smirked and the Doctor had to admit both Jack and River looked happier than he could ever remember. Poor Ianto was still a bit pale but seemed to fit into the threesome. For sake of the holiday he shrugged and dropped the topic.

 

“Raggedy man!” Amy burst through the front door, Rory and his father Brian in tow, propelling herself into the Time Lord's arms. “You really made it!” she beamed.

 

“Of course I did, Pond. I promised,” he huffed.

 

She rolled her eyes affectionately. “How am I supposed to know you'd even remember us when you've got Barbie and a bunch of kids?”

 

“Stop calling my mother Barbie! And we're not a bunch,” Ty glared at Amy and River.

 

“I call the woman who stole my daughter's husband whatever the hell I want!” Amy retorted indignantly.

 

“Ah, yes mum,” River interrupted, “I'm getting married again. Meet my fiancées Jack and Ianto. The ceremony will be on Flosden Paradise Prime on the 25th May 3654. A really open-minded society. You and Rory will probably hate it but please try dressing appropriately. Something see-through would be just fine.”

 

“Oh! Flosden Paradise Prime in May!,” the Doctor threw in, “best weather in centuries and spectacular gas-eruptions! An Aurora Borealis is nothing against that.”

 

“You gonna be best man, Doc,” Jack announced happily.

 

“I'm what?!” His non-existent eyebrows rose to his hairline.

 

“What?” Jack asked. “It's not like there's a great choice in immortals I call family.”

 

“I'm not immortal,” the Doctor muttered.

 

“With Rose at your side? As if she'd ever let you off the hook again.” He grinned triumphantly. “Rosie said “forever”, you'd better start believing it,” Jack singsonged.

 

“I'm still River's ex,” he indicated.

 

“Oh, sweetie.” River rolled her eyes. “After everything we have been through it would be a shame if you didn't show up.”

 

“I wouldn't mind a fivesome,” Jack pointed out eventually earning deadpan stares from Rose, the Doctor and Ianto while River scrutinized Rose, obviously considering the suggestion.

 

“No!” Rose told her firmly and River shrugged.

 

“A pity, sweetheart. I can definitely see why the boys all have a thing for you.” She winked and Rose blushed.

 

“Jamie is in the room!” she burst out while covering her son's ears.

 

“Yeah, and Jack is his godparent, missy. Better he gets used to this sort of stuff now.”

 

“Rose!” the Time Lord whined in desperation and at loss for words. Fortunately, Martha announced the dinner to be ready and they all sat down at the table.

 

After the starter's, Ty looked at his mother. “Mum, can I bring dad's present?”

 

“Ask Martha first,” Rose replied and Ty leaned over to whisper into her ear. When she nodded, trying desperately to choke down her laughter, Ty made his way back to the TARDIS.

 

“Present?” the Doctor asked suspiciously. “I can't remember the exchange of presents on Thanksgiving.”

 

“You gonna love it,” Rose promised, grinning mischievously and he groaned.

 

“I'll take off with the TARDIS and leave you lot here,” he threatened.

 

“You wouldn't even make to the living-room,” Rose snapped back.

 

“I won't even make it off my seat without you,” he responded affectionately.

 

“Quite right,” she told him grinning her patent smile.

 

The Doctor turned towards the sound of Ty's steps and nearly fell off his seat at the sight of the woman who accompanied his son.

 

“Oi! Which one of you matchsticks is the spaceman?!”

 

“D-D-Donna!?” the Doctor stammered.

 

“As it happens, yes! Nice you remember me, Martian! And it's Donna-without the extra “Ds”. You sound like Lee, stuttering like that,” the fierce ginger woman greeted him. “And before you stutter on: I won't burn up. Your boy fixed me and brought my memories back.” She tapped her temple and smiled fondly. “Oh! And Rose! I'm so happy you don't have to mope any longer over her. Hi Rose!” Donna waved her hand while eyeing her like some especially exotic alien - which she probably was.

 

However, the Doctor's reunion with Donna was suddenly interrupted when the TARDIS phone rang and Ty dashed away, yelling “I'll get it!”

 

“What's that?” the Time Lord asked appalled.

 

“That's probably Clara,” Rose replied casually and the Doctor opened his mouth but Donna interrupted him.

 

“Don't start stuttering again, Martian!” Donna warned.

 

“I'm still not from Mars! Who's Clara? Why does she have the TARDIS-number?”

 

“Cause I gave it to her,” Rose replied. “And Clara is Ty's girlfriend.”

 

“His what?! He's too young to have friends! Especially girlfriends! What comes next? Are you expecting me to take this stranger on a trip?”

 

“Yep,” Rose answered, popping the “p”. “You can be happy that his girlfriend this time around is human and not an Atraxi...or a Ploom.” She shuddered.

 

“My TARDIS won't become a snog-box!” He huffed.

 

“Since when?” Mickey asked.

 

“What are you trying to imply, Mickey Smith?” the Doctor snapped.

 

“I'm not trying to imply anything. I'm making a conclusion: _you_ are as bad as Captain Cheesecake here.”

 

The Time Lord's mouth was agape as he tried to regain his composure.

 

“Want proof?” Mickey went on. “Whoever hasn't snogged that time-travelling alien in our middle shall raise his or her hand now.”

 

They all looked cautiously at each other and finally Brian, Rory's father raised his hand looking at the other's at the table. Mickey's hand went up the same time Ianto raised his - else, all hands stayed down.

 

“Martha?” Mickey asked appalled.

 

“It was only a biological transfer, I didn't really count,” Martha shrugged while avoiding eye-contact with her husband and making a show of sipping her wine.

 

“Is there any woman you haven't had your lips on?!” Mickey whined.

 

“That's my man!” Jack beamed and patted the Doctor's back. “But you gotta stop that now, with Rosie and the kids around. Won't have her come running for me, searching consolidation.” He waggled his eyebrows.

 

“We were married,” River said.

 

“Got cold feet before my wedding,” Amy admitted, turning slightly pink at the memory.

 

“I thought I was gonna die and he looked dashing in leather,” Jack piped.

 

“He kissed me full on the mouth,” Rory glared at the Doctor accusingly.

 

“I had to shock him in order to save his life,” Donna shared.

 

The Doctor in the meantime searched Rose's face, ready to face the full wrath of the Wolf. To his surprise and relief she doubled over in laughter.

 

“Well, I can honestly confess that the only lips I plan kissing from now on are the one's of my children's mother.” He beamed happily at Rose and she laughed out again.

 

“Sappy romantic, you are!”

 

“Your sappy romantic,” he admitted and Jack shivered dramatically.

 

“Mum! Dad! TARDIS! There's a problem with the Wifi, people are getting sucked into the internet.” Ty burst in, ruining the hilarious moment and spurring his parent's immediately into action.

 

Squeezing her son's hand Rose leaned towards Ty and whispered, “for Christmas, dad's gonna get back Gallifrey.”


	16. Chapter 16

“Really, Clara! I promise you'll like my dad,” Ty tried to convince Clara as he guided her towards the National Gallery.

 

Rolling her eyes and letting out a little huff, Clara disagreed, “it's a bit intimidating, though. Finding out your boyfriend is an alien and his father is a Time Lord. What does that mean anyway?” She pressed, a sceptical eyebrow raise at Ty.

 

“Welllll....he can travel through time – but you'll love it! I promise I'll show you the TARDIS soon,” he beamed. “Besides, as for intimidating: you've already met mum,” Ty tried to reassure his girl-friend.

 

“I thought you were part human?” Clara inquired. “And if your father is an alien your mum would be human, right?”

 

“Yeah – well,” he winced, curling his tongue behind his teeth, “mum used to be human. Ages ago.”

 

“So your mum is who exactly?”

 

Averting his eyes and mumbling into his collar Ty replied, “mum is the goddess of time. Really, compared to her, my father is the human.”

 

Letting out a little squeak, she clutched her boyfriend's hand and groaned. “Fantastic!” she grumbled with an eye-roll, “if we ever have a row, your parents will toss me into a black hole.”

 

Ty frowned, “they' d never do such a thing.”

 

“I love tossing things into black-holes,” the Doctor chimed in enthusiastically as he sneaked up from behind, causing both Clara and Ty to jump in surprise. “You should always toss your manuals into black-holes – especially when they aren't being helpful.” Pausing and staring up at the sky he added, “Ty, is there a reason you're telling your girl-friend about black-holes? Are you planning a date?” Pointing an accusing finger at his boy, he admonished, “you won't steal my TARDIS to go on a date!”

 

“Why would I want to take her to a black-hole?” Ty asked incredulously and the Doctor stood to his full height while straightening out his bow-tie.

 

“Ty Tyler – I'll let you know: black-holes are utterly romantic! Thinking of it, I think your mother conceived you, when we've been stuck on this space-station circling a black-hole.”

 

“Dad!” Ty squeaked appalled, “too much information!”

 

“I can recall you lecturing me about “the birds and the bees” not too long ago,” the Doctor responded grinning cheekily.

 

“Right,” Ty swallowed. “Dad, meet my girl-friend Clara. Clara – this is the Doctor.”

 

“Pleased to meet you, sir!” Clara greeted him and leaning towards Ty she whispered, “you could have mentioned he looks younger than you!”

 

“Oi!” Ty huffed. “he doesn't look younger than me!”

 

“Clara, Clara, Clara...” the Doctor repeated her name a few time. “Have we met before?” he asked, staring at her curiously. “What's your full name, young lady?”

 

“Clara,” she stuttered, “Clara Oswin Oswald.”

 

“Dad!” Ty interrupted his father, “don't do that “dad-thing”!”

 

“Mr Tyler – I am your dad and therefore it's only natural I care about your well-being. Clara! Have we met before?” he inquired curiously.

 

“No, no,” she answered unsure while Ty clutched her hand, rolling his eyes in annoyance.

 

“Hmmm...” the Doctor frowned unconvinced. All of a sudden, he clapped his hands together gleefully and spurred into action, pulling his son and Clara inside the National Gallery.

 

Once inside, the Doctor walked his son and Clara around, giving lectures on history and telling anecdotes about how Da Vinci learned painting from him. To his displeasure, neither Ty nor Clara seemed to give him the attention he craved and instead kept holding hands and giggled the entire time – in fact, they acted like him and Rose. When Clara excused herself to use the loo, the Doctor pulled his son aside.

 

“Ty,” he started, swallowing heavily, “please keep in mind she's only human.”

 

His boy looked startled. “So what? You're always travelling with humans. Mum was human.”

 

“Ty, we live long....losing your mum nearly broke me – don't get too attached to quickly, keep your distance,” he warned.

 

Rolling his eyes, Ty asked, “do you like her?”

 

“I guess...she's a bit shy...don't think the TARDIS will be too fond of her but..” he shrugged and made a helpless gesture with his hands.

 

“So you'd accept her?”

 

“Of course. Just stop telling your girl-friend I'd toss her into a black-hole. Your mum would kill me,” he joked.

 

“Good. Cause tonight I'll ask her to...” The rest of Ty's sentence was lost when they both heard Clara screaming in horror. The two men started running towards the agonizing sound and only seconds later, the Doctor's sonic buzzed to life. Making their way deeper and deeper through the contorted halls of the National Gallery, they soon reached a hidden door. Sonicking it open, they entered a gigantic room only containing one picture and the Doctor's eyes widened in astonishment.

 

“A three-dimensional painting,” the Doctor stated surprised and Ty sucked in a sharp breath.

 

“That's Arcadia! Oh my God...it's not even Christmas!” the boy blurted out and the Doctor spun around.

 

“Christmas?! What has this to do with Christmas?”

 

“Mum....oh! You two have terrible timing!” Tugging his hair in desperation, Ty whined, “I wanted to propose to Clara today! Mum could have waited until Christmas!”

 

“What!? What?!” he yelped. “Propose?! To a human?! And why am I staring at a Time Lord's picture of Arcadia.” Growling he started pacing the room.

 

“What's wrong with humans all of sudden?” Ty hissed at him.

 

“Nothing! The best creatures in the universe are humans – but you'll not even look like thirty when she's eighty years old!”

 

“So what?! I bet mum can help!” Ty snapped back.

 

“Mum can help,” he mocked. “And what about what Clara might want? Did you even ask her yet? How long have you known each other?”

 

“That's none of your business! You just left and didn't care! And you never asked mum either!” Ty shouted back.

 

“Right, right,right,” the Doctor said while scooting his hands frantically through his hair. “Shouldn't we discuss that once we've found her?” he asked and Ty froze.

 

“That might help...” he gulped.

 

“Ty!” Clara's voice brought the two bickering guys back to reality. A whizzing sound filled the air and gaping, they stared at a window opening in the fabric of reality. “Ty! I don't know where I am!” Clara's desperate, small voice whined again and without hesitation, the boy approached the time-window.

 

“What the hell?” the Doctor asked but Ty already pulled at his father's hand and manoeuvred him through. With a small thud, they landed softly in a forest and the Doctor frowned.

 

“I've been here before!” he stated when he felt suppressed memories resurfacing.

 

“I've told you that's all mum's doing,” Ty explained in annoyance. “Just play along – she did this hundreds of years ago.”

 

“But your girl-friend,” he sputtered.

 

“Fiancée! Well, soon...”

 

“Ty!” Clara shouted relieved, hurling herself into his arms. “One moment I was in the gallery and all of a sudden, I'm inside a forest!”

 

Tugging at his ear in embarrassment, Ty answered, “I'm sorry, love. Really. I'm so, so sorry. We fell through a hole in time...I wasn't expecting this happening today but I think we're about to change the past and you just became part of events....Oh look! It's dad!”

 

Turning around, they witnessed a lean, wiry man, clad in a pin-striped suit, running through the woods at full speed and the Doctor's eyes widened even more. The lanky figure stumbled and would have crushed head first into the ground, if Clara wouldn't have caught him in time.

Just when he was about to catch his breath again, a third man entered the scene. An elderly man, judged by his looks past his seventies, joined them and giving the little assembly a curious look he introduced himself. “Hello! I'm the Doctor – and I'm looking for the Doctor. You haven't possibly seen him?”

 

“This is getting better and better,” Ty laughed out loud and Clara stared helplessly at him.

 

“Uhm...I think I should explain – I've told you that I'll regenerate if anything lethal would happen to me, right?” Clara nodded hesitantly. “Right – so the one with the bow-tie is my father and the other two are past versions of him.”

 

“Wait!” the thin Doctor shouted while the grey-haired Doctor simultaneously yelped, “your father?! And what do you mean with these two being me too, lad?”

 

“Long story,” the bow-tied man sighed in exasperation while massaging his temples. “Right!” he said turning towards his pin-striped self, “what were you about to do?”

 

“Chasing a Zygon disguised as Queen Liz I,” he answered, staring intensely at Ty. “Who's your mother, boy?”

 

“You'll find out soon enough,” Ty responded grinning mischievously but his gaze softened at his father's crestfallen, desperate expression and he decided not to tease this past version. He oozed loneliness and regret like none of the other Doctors and for once, the boy began to understand the origins of the Valeyard's madness. There was an insane glimmer, hidden deeply in the Doctor's eyes, just about to emerge but restrained by sheer willpower and Ty didn't want to push his luck.

 

In fact, this decision turned out to be rather smart as his fathers soon enough had their hands full with fighting off Zygons and Queen Elisabeth's advances. Somehow, his dad's tenth self ended up marrying the Queen of England and Ty made a mental note to use this fact whenever he wanted to make a trip with the TARDIS alone. Everything considered, Ty had a lot of fun: all the running, getting locked up in a prison cell and saving the Earth made him feel exhausted in the best possible way and on top, Clara started warming up with this sort of life-style too. It was a carefree, fantastic day until it wasn't anymore.

 

Ty didn't know how or why this day turned from fun to horror so quickly, but suddenly, he was on Gallifrey during the last day of the war and something terrible was about to happen – something he wouldn't allow.

 

 

 

 


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you miss the Valeyard ;-)?

The world around Ty, his fathers and Clara was on fire. Time constricted around them, possibilities died off as fast as new options arose. The shouts of agony filled the air, entire species were wiped from existence as others came into the universe. Thousands of suns burnt up and the planet beneath his feet became a ice desert only to turn into hell seconds later.

 

He watched as Daleks slaughtered countless Time Lords. But then someone or something would rewrite time and exactly the same enemies were back at the battle field, fighting each other, turning the outcome of the combat over and over again until time upon the embattled field would collapse and even a Time Lord could no longer remember what had happened there.

 

Ty's head swam as he tried grasping which reality was originally meant to happen and which was a twisted abomination of the war that stretched over all of reality. His time senses rebelled, his stomach twisted and the young boy vomited soundly on the floor, no longer able to bear the pain. He almost collapsed and an all-engulfing darkness settled in.

 

“Stop it! For God's sake stop it!” he shouted at the three versions of the Doctors, pressing his hands against his throbbing temples. Clara, who was unable to sense these violations to time stroked his back as she stared pleadingly at the floppy-haired Doctor. “Do something, it's hurting him. Whatever it is, it's hurting him,” she begged, her big chocolate-coloured eyes trained at the Doctor's youngest face.

 

A flash of light illuminated the darkness, all five stumbled to to the floor, closing their eyes on reflex. Landing with a soft thump, they found themselves in a large hall. The ceiling was too high above to see it or maybe didn't exist at all – one could not be sure. The wall was made from a material resembling black iron, the floor from black onyx, the flagstones arranged in a pattern that lead to a gigantic throne about hundred metres away from the point they were sitting on the floor. The hall seemed to have no entrance, no start as no door was visible. The hallway leading to the throne was quite narrow, only three people could walk next to each other comfortably and the air was filled with ashes.

 

Voices mumbled, whispered, screamed, talked and susurrated in the darkness. They could feel eyes of unknown creatures watching, observing, following them. Hot, foetidly breath ghosted over their necks and their skins prickled in fear and anticipation.

 

All of a sudden, the whispering stopped and only the sound of ragged, anxious breaths filled the air – but somehow, that was even worse. The breathing became more and more frantic as the seconds ticked away in agonizing slowness, turning louder and louder until the point the breathing sounded like screams.

 

It all stopped and grave silence fell as a gate at the end of the hallway opened. But instead light only more darkness flooded the room and unthinkable coldness almost choked them.

 

“The King is coming!” one voice mumbled, barely audible.

 

“The King is coming!” another voice hissed under it's breath.

 

“The King is coming!” finally one voice screeched with religious delusion in it's tone.

 

“The King is coming!” they all shouted with one mouth, repeating the sentence over and over again until it lost all meaning.

 

Ty covered his ears as he tore his eyes wide open, hoping to see anything in the dark. He bit his fist as he noticed that he was yelling along with the crowd, announcing the arrival of the King. It felt as if his body would dissolve, melt with the dark and it felt wonderful. If his body would only vanish, Ty would be able to _see_.

 

“The King is coming!” the boy mumbled, trying to get closer into the darkness, into it's embrace. His body became a burden, an annoying onerousness and he couldn't remember why one would want to have a body. He just wanted to get rid of it, fade into black, become black and he _understood_ , black wasn't only a colour but _every_ colour melted into one. Black was _everything_.

 

And then the King came, the darkness of darkness, black of black and oh! He was _everything_ and nothing at all rolled up in one. Nothing would ever hurt again, nothing would ever bring joy again, it all would just _be_.

 

Stumbling forward Ty reached towards the King, wanting to touch him, become part of him and dissolve as a light voice broke through the numbness.

 

“Now!” she shouted. “Make a different choice _now_!”

 

Ty snapped out of his haze and stared jaw slacked at his father, any of his fathers. They were all gathered up behind him, eyes fixed on the darkness ahead and with a shudder Ty finally recognised the darkness: it was the Valeyard and he was his father. He wore the Doctors faces, any Doctors faces and all his features flooded together until his face was only a blur.

 

He sat on his throne, looking proudly down at his kingdom of _nothing_. There would never be a single feeling again, no choice, no hate, no war, no cruelty, no love. The Valeyard would merge every world, every dimension, every time into one. The parallel worlds would cease to exist, every being would cease to exist and exist all the same.

 

“No,” the boy whispered horrified as Clara clutched his hand. Tears were brimming in her eyes and staring at her he understood that if the Valeyard succeeded, this world would find peace but at a price that must never ever be paid.

 

“Dad!” he shouted. “Doctor! Don't!” Ty pleaded, grabbing one version of the Doctor, one that was wearing a velvet coat. Shaking him violently he tried getting his attention but the man wouldn't budge.

 

“Finally!” the Valeyard's manic voice echoed through the hall, “There will be peace! I will unleash the moment and you, my Meanwhiles, my Neverweres will be _free_. I will give eternity, peace, slumber and existence!”

 

“The King is coming!” the body-less voices replied as Ty clung to Clara.

 

Ty's eyes searched the faces of the Doctors until he found the one face he had been looking for – the one who had done it, the one who had accepted becoming the King.

 

He had the oldest of the Doctor's faces, wore a battered leather jacket and had short grey hair. “I could have been King, I Could Have Been King, I am the Could Have Been King,” he mumbled fervently as he moved slowly forward towards a big wooden chest ornamented with metal-embellishments.

 

The boy grabbed his hand, forcing him to notice his presence. “Father! Don't!” Ty repeated insistently. “You must NOT do this.”

 

“Don't you see were this war is taking us, kid? I will bring peace,” he said softly, shaking the boy off and moving steadily on.

 

“We will never exist!” Ty pleaded. “We would have never existed, there will only be darkness.”

 

“But there will _be_ ,” the Doctor replied.

 

“Please!” Ty was crying now. “Please! Recognise me! I'm your son. You have another kid – Jamie and there's mum. _Rose._ You have to remember Rose! You'll meet her soon, the universe will exist and....God, please dad DON'T DO THAT!” His voice started getting hoarse from all the screaming over the united voices of the Meanwhiles and Neverweres.

 

The young Time Lord lost all hope as his father only gave him a soft smile, responding, “I could have been King,” and moving on with dead, lifeless eyes. “There's no other choice.”

 

“There's ALWAYS a choice,” a soft voice, yet holding the power to predominate everyone else in the room, said.

 

“Who says that?” the Doctors replied and Ty shoved Clara behind his back – all Doctor's spoke with one voice and it was terrifying.

 

“ _You_ ,” it responded, a smile in it's tone.

 

“Not today,” the Doctors answered.

 

“Especially today,” came the amused reply.

 

“Who are you?” they demanded to know.

 

“I am the Moment, _every_ Moment. And I am the Wolf leading you through the wood,” the voice returned and Ty recognised her.

 

“Mum!” he screeched relieved. “ _Mum!_ ”

 

“Ty,” she addressed him, “Show him what he's about to lose. Show him what he never gets if he does this now.”

 

“I tried, mum. He won't listen!”

 

“You have to talk to the one who made the choice, my son. The one who could have been, who never was.”

 

“But...” Ty sputtered.

 

“Don't be afraid. He never was, only could have been – if not for you, for me and Jamie. That's the trick, my son.”

 

“But...” the boy started arguing.

 

“Let go of your fear, Ty. It's not real. Not if we don't want it to be. It will only be a distant memory – it never happened,” Rose told him firmly and straightening his shoulders Ty went to face the Valeyard.

 

As he moved slowly towards the throne, he let go of his fear piece by piece. “They are not real,” he recited internally over and over again and before he knew it, he was there – face to face with the man who surrendered to madness.

 

“You pathetic fool,” the Valeyard snarled. “Do you really think you'll change my mind?”

 

“I already did,” the boy answered firmly, wondering why he should fear a ghost. _“He can't harm me,”_ Ty thought. “I exist. My mere existence is proof you changed your mind, made a better choice. _Doctor_. That's your name. Remember it. _Be_ a doctor and make the right choice.”

 

Standing proudly in front of the Valeyard Ty felt calm and confidence settle into his hearts. “Everything that is lost can be found again,” Ty told him. “Hide what must kept be safe, father, doctor,” and leaning forward, the Doctor's son whispered his true name into the Valeyards ear for he finally _understood_. The Doctor's name wasn't a word but knowledge and Ty had just understood.

 

A single tear escape the Valeyard's eye as he nodded. “I still have to do it, don't I?” he asked his son and Ty nodded sadly. “But it's not real, dad. Just a dream we'll all wake from one day, okay?” As Ty embraced his father in a tight hug the world spun out of her axis, the darkness faded and the sun broke through the ceiling. The hall vanished and Ty wasn't sure it had existed at all.

 

 

 


	18. Epilogue

Time had unravelled. History had and had not happened at the same time and a war had taken place and hadn't. Billions had died and still lived – somewhere.

 

When Ty, Clara and his father returned to the museum, the young boy knew one thing: he never again wanted to be such an important part of history. If he hadn't found the right words, if the Valeyard hadn't listened to him and decided to unleash and not unleash the Moment, this universe would have ceased to exist.

 

His father and mother might take that responsibility upon their shoulders, but Ty wasn't willing to participate to such an extend in history again.

 

Brushing off the dust and looking over at Clara, Ty decided his parents might have the most exciting and exotic life in any universe, but he didn't want that for himself. After being the Valeyards captive for years and the reason for him to change his mind during the Time War, the boy knew he only wanted to be ordinary.

 

Of course he rejoiced for his father's people, the Time Lords, but the Doctor's constant meddling with time had brought them all into their dire situation in the first place.

 

Therefore, it wasn't really a tough decision when his father wanted to lead him and Clara back to the TARDIS. Not at all.

 

“Dad,” Ty said. “I'm not coming with you and mum anymore.”

 

The Time Lord froze. Body going rigid, he slowly turned round. He opened his mouth to speak but words failed him. The man who could talk for England whenever a planet was in danger, only nodded slowly.

 

“An entire millennia,” he joked with a wry smile, “and I'm still a rubbish father.”

 

“It's not that,” the boy responded tugging his ear in a way that reminded the Doctor of his former body. “I've seen the impact you and mum have on the universe and I...I just don't want that. You and mum – your actions alter the sake of entire civilizations and you gallivate across the universe deciding what's best for all these species. I'm not ready for this.”

 

Mouth set into a thin, tight line, the Doctor nodded. “You should tell your mother, though.” Pausing, he sucked in a breath. “Soooo,” he drawled, “what are you going to do?”

 

“I'll stay on Earth, be ordinary, be with Clara – for as long as she wants me. Today...I've learned that I'm not on the position to make choices for others. Who do you exactly think you are, dad, that you are justified to decide over the faith of the entire universe? Any universe?” he demanded to know.

 

“It's in my nature, I suppose,” he shrugged, a pained expression flickering over his face.

 

“Dad,” Ty said, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, “you know I don't want to be left behind? I just don't want to travel with you all the time. I need my own life.”

 

“We could go on a trip with your parents every Wednesday,” Clare chimed in and both men looked at her in surprise. Ducking her head, she whispered, “sorry, didn't want to interrupt you.”

 

“No, that's actually quite brilliant,” Ty said, grinning brightly. “But make sure you pick me up the second you find Gallifrey again.

“I will,” the Doctor vowed, “after all, you still have to meet Susan and get to know my home-planet.”

 

In the end, life wasn't perfect but it was very close to perfection. Ty and Clara lived an almost ordinary life on earth until the Doctor and Rose found Gallifrey again and the young Time Lord settled down there with his human wife.

 

River Song, Jack Harkness and Ianto Jones got married on 57 pleasure planets and 23 moons before Ianto grew too old to travel by a Vortex Manipulator.

 

Amy and Rory are still keeping the Doctor company from time to time and after a while, Amy had to admit that she actually _liked_ Rose.

 

Donna, Martha and Mickey never set foot aboard the TARDIS again – but the Time Lord wouldn't dare missing to celebrate any important earth-holiday with his friends.

 

Jamie stayed aboard the TARDIS until he was a bit over hundred years old and then grew his own.

 

And the Doctor and Rose Tyler are still travelling the stars in their TARDIS – just as it should be.

 

 


End file.
